Coming For Tomorrow
by Riikani
Summary: Unwillingly brought back, Uchiha Sasuke finds Konoha changed, or rather, his former team has changed. Naruto wise? Sakura not an annoying fangirl? When the future is unsure, how is he supposed to go back to normal life, if there is nothing to go back to? (On Hold)
1. Never Go That Way

_Hey people. I suppose for most of you guys, I am a new writer. I haven't written a Naruto Fanfiction before, but with the resent development in the Manga...I just couldn't resist. (Because Sasuke pisses me off right now; "GO BACK TO KONOHA, JERK!!"))_

_So therefore, please have patience with me._

_This chapter takes place before Manga 380...because I just don't like the recent development._

_I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters._

_ENJOY!!_

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**Coming for tomorrow**

Chapter 1: Never go that way

There was no crowd to welcome Naruto back.

There was no big party and there was no joyous mood.

In fact, the only people waiting at the Konoha gates, were the 5th Hokage Tsunade, Kakashi, Yamato, Sai and Sakura. Their faces were grim.

The reason was the person he brought with him on his back: The missing-nin Uchiha Sasuke. The young man was unconsciousness.

"You did it, Naruto," Tsunade said, as the yellow haired boy stepped through the gates, her voice was mildly surprised. He had failed so many times before. Naruto looked tired, and even if he didn't have any visible wounds, everyone knew he had used his Shuriken Rasengan.

"You beat him up badly, didn't you?" Kakashi asked while looking at his two pupils. He had never regarded them as something else, even after all that had happened.

Naruto glanced at his friend and rival on his back, "I once told him, even if I had to break all of his bones, I would bring him back," he said but the smile seemed strained. "I don't go back on my word, that's my way of the ninja."

Nobody blinked at the over-used phrase, it had become a custom thing around Naruto.

"Bring him to the hospital," Sakura said coldly, "We have to treat him. Knowing you, he should be damaged pretty bad." She knew she should feel something, but the fact was: she didn't. He was no longer the Sasuke-kun she knew, but a stranger, a criminal.

An avenger.

She knew what he could do. He hadn't hesitated killing his brother and the two remaining Sharingan bearers, Uchiha Madara and the former ANBU-leader, Danzo. All these people, he had killed with his bare hands, Figuratively speaking since he carried that sword, Katsunagi, of his.

Sakura knew she would treat him, but there was a limit to the things she could do. Forgiving was not one of them.

Naruto followed his team-mate silently. He wasn't the brightest kid in town but he knew they never could be team 7 again. Then suddenly, his knees gave in to tiredness and ungracefully, he fell on the ground. Sakura looked back, but to Naruto it seemed she had no intention of helping him.

Or rather, she had no intention of helping the person on his back. She refused helping the criminal she saw.

Then he felt the burden of the body lifted from his back, Kakashi had lifted Sasuke over on his own back,

"You overdid it, Naruto," he said quietly. Naruto looked back at the ground, but said nothing. They resumed their way to the hospital.

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke felt strange when he returned his mind from the pitch-black void called unconsciousness. First he noticed he wasn't outside since the smell of trees was barely noticeable. Then for second, his body didn't hurt as much as it should be doing.

After all he had fought Naruto, and though grudgingly, he had to admit the idiot had surpassed him in terms of strength. Not something easy to admit, but him passing out is prove enough.

Before, he had refused to open his eyes, now he realized he had to. When he opened them however, he wished he didn't.

He seemed to have returned to where it all began, the Konoha Hospital.

He growled angrily, the dobe must've carried him back like he always said he would.

"Ah, Uchiha-san, glad to see..." the nurse who had entered the began, but then met a pair of furious red eyes.

She almost ran out in terror.

Sasuke was annoyed by this place, it was definitely the last place on earth he wanted to be. The door opened again and Sasuke activated the Sharingan once more, he didn't want anyone to be here. Heck, even he didn't want to be here.

But this person was different from the previous nurse. She didn't back away from those eyes, she just stood there, observing calmly. "Well, Uchiha, it seems like you're almost back to normal," she said.

Sasuke deactivated the Sharingan. Somehow this voice seemed very familiar, even though it had matured a lot and wasn't screaming his name. Also that pink hair wasn't hard to indentify.

"Sakura?" he asked. If it weren't for his amazing emotional suppression skills, he probably would have looked surprised as well.

"It's Haruno-san of -sama for you," she replied coldly.

Now Sasuke did blink surprised. This was not the over obsessed girl, he had known almost 7 years ago.

She eyed him again, "I am your medic during your stay here, and I'll be held responsible for you. So please refrain from scaring the nurses," she said.

Sasuke was baffled and little did ever. It was not like he cared, but this was a complete personality shift. When did helpless Sakura turn into a coldhearted medic?

"You will stay here for two weeks, after that, your prosecution will begin," she informed him.

Sasuke crossed his arms, "And that would mean for me?" he asked skeptically.

Sakura barely blinked at the question, "Is there a need for you to ask? I am disappointed," she said. "It will mean that either way, you will be killed after all or there will be taken special measurements. That's what awaits an S-class criminal. Out of all people, you should know, Uchiha Sasuke," she said.

She had almost spat out his name at him. Sasuke decided that there was not much left of someone caring or crying for some other person than herself. He suddenly felt like there had changed so much.

Sakura bowed, shallow and strained, "Please behave," she said as she left. Sasuke was too baffled to even respond with his usual, "hn,".

The previous nurse returned. Sakura had probably talked some courage into her, but her eyes still flashed nervously, "Can I do some small check-ups, Uchiha-san?" she asked carefully.

Sasuke looked outside, "There is not much I have to choose between" he said grudgingly as the nurse did her tasks quickly. He even cooperated so he would be done sooner.

His mind ran over things, again. Some of them were hard to cope with, or even acknowledge. Like Naruto's force, that monstrous power he now possessed. Sasuke thought his own chakra control was good and also his chakra levels were easily called extremely high.

But, Sasuke found, he hadn't been able to actually hurt the guy. Oh yes, he had tried because he'd never wanted to return to Konoha, and Naruto had been holding on that he would drag him bag.

Last time he had been able to see the Kyuubi in him, and he had even been able to force that thing back in its cage. Sasuke finally realized why things had also been hard for Naruto: he had always been shunned away because of the bijuu in him, the jinchuuriki he was.

And yet, Naruto had been able to live with it, he had been able to take control himself over his power, to suppress it when he should have been losing control. And he hadn't been affected by it. Sasuke wondered, had the boy and the monster found a truce? Either way, Sasuke had been beaten up to the point of death.

Naruto did not know of holding back when things mattered.

And now here in the hospital.

It seemed that helpless, weak, pathetic, _annoying_Sakura had grown too.

He had actually expected her to give up being a kunoichi. But instead, she was the one taking care of him. He sighed: she also was the one holding him imprisoned. Things were not looking well for him.

He heard a knock on the door. 'Can't they just leave me alone,' he thought frustrated. Naturally, being Sasuke, he didn't respond to the knock.

And naturally, Naruto didn't care. "Oi, teme, How have your wounds been cleaned up?" he said with a big cheeky grin on his face as he entered the room.

"I am not grateful," Sasuke replied icily.

Naruto sat down, "You just have to get used to living here, again. There's no reason for you to keep wandering forever," he said.

Sasuke said nothing for awhile, staring at his sheets.

"Why did you bring me back, Naruto?" he finally asked.

Naruto, surprised at the use of his name, grinned, "because we're friends, teme. Brothers by something other than blood." There was no joke in his words.

Sasuke, being Sasuke, remained passive. And not even Naruto did know what to say to the boy that had changed so much, that had distanced himself so much from everyone who cared.

"I have to go, Tsunade-baa-chan is not the one to be kept waiting, I really don't know how Sakura did it all those years," he muttered the last part mostly to himself. "Don't pull any stunts when I'm not here," Naruto said as he stood up.

"If I remember correctly, it was you always causing trouble around here," Sasuke remarked.

Naruto grinned, "I grew up, I don't do those things anymore, they slow the healing-process. Besides that, Sakura-chan will let me get away with it, you won't have that much luck," he said.

Sasuke felt his brow twitch. Just when exactly did Naruto become favored over him?

The door closed and only when the lock clicked, Sasuke noticed he was both trapped as left alone. Naruto didn't pull any fights with him.

He really should start trying to find the writer of this twisted story, Sasuke decided, the world was messed up. And the worst part was, that Sasuke noticed it was not him who rose high above the others in terms of power.

it was him who was left behind.

He figured, having Sakura on your squad now, you'd have a reliable companion. In Naruto, you'd have a trustworthy ally and a fearful opponent.

Sasuke was fed-up with sitting on that damned bed and swung his legs over the edge. Last time he had seen them uncovered was when they had been ripped with deep wounds, almost shred to pieces. But now, the only thing marking his legs was a light white scar, that he expected to disappear as well.

And even when he tried to stand, he did not feel the sharp pain that had been expected. The said pain was actually a small tingle easily pushed back to the corners of his mind. The small steps he took were not painful, and not difficult.

So Sasuke straightened his back, this was just an ordinary hospital room after all. That puny lock wouldn't stop him from breaking free. There even was a window, what did they expect him to be? A weak civilian?

He clenched his fist and wanted to smash the window.

He didn't expect to be bounced back and to feel his hand numb. Surprised he looked at it and found it red.

But he wouldn't give up. He would not stay in this place.

He tried to smash the window again, only to find the same thing happening as before. Sasuke tried a few more time and soon enough he felt tired all over his body. Tired and baffled he sat back down on the bed, intently glaring at the window. It was really one of the few options he had.

ANBU surely had to be guarding the door and he was still weakened from his previous battle (but he'd be damned to admit it). Besides that, right now, his body felt as if it was deprived from all the strength he had gathered since.

"Done playing?" a voice asked, both amused as annoyed.

Sasuke turned around and found himself staring in his doctor's eyes: Sakura. She was leaning against the doorpost and grin played mockingly around her lips.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked, angry at her for calling his attempts at escaping playing and only barely concealing it.

Sakura closed the door behind her and made a quick hand seal. Sasuke was certain he saw her doing that, he must've missed it last time and he cursed himself silently for it.

"Tch, and that is calling himself a genius," Sakura mocked, fueling to his anger.

"I wasn't asking for your critic," he growled.

Sakura sneered, "Ah, so, you can do whatever you want without me ever being allowed?" she said.

Sasuke saw the anger building on her side as well, covered by a veil of coldness. It was hardly noticeable she actually began to lose her patience.

"Annoying," she muttered.

Sasuke looked away, it had been too long since the use of that word and if it had hurt so much more than he did now, he could imagine what that word actually did to her.

"Just, why can't I get away." Sasuke growled once again.

Sakura narrowed her eyes, "Do you take us for fools?"

But then she chuckled, "You expected to get an ordinary room? You disappoint me again, _Uchiha_. But seeing you are not able to tell, I will explain. This room is completely sealed off with Chakra draining material. Of course, the window is protected the strongest," she said as she crossed her arms.

"The strings are directly linked to my chakra-system. It is impossible for you to do anything without me noticing it," she said.

Sasuke stood up, "so basically, I only have to get past you? I did that before," he muttered.

Wrong choice of words, he realized too late, as Sakura cracked her knuckles and a maniacal smile took over her features. Sasuke knew trouble when facing it.

In a second her fist had connected with his jaw.

Okay, he had figured as much that it would hurt at least, but hell: he never expected to be slammed right into the wall.

At the _**other**_ side of the room.

His head did definitely hurt now and those spots were not supposed to be before his eyes.

"Never, again say that, Uchiha Sasuke. The walls in this hospital are made to stand bomb-attacks but I swear, I will hit you right through one," Sakura hissed, angrily.

Then she composed herself, "this will serve as a warning," she said, and she walked to the door with head high in dignity.

Before she closed the door she looked at him, still dazed on the ground. "think that point in the wall is weakened now, and you'll be in for a painful surprise," she said and shut the door.

Sasuke blinked and then slumped back again the wall again and looked up and the huge hole where his body had connected with the wall.

When his mind found its way back to his head, his mouth dropped open, he couldn't help it. His body should have been broken by sheer force, and it was pure luck that it didn't. He could have died as easily, and he suspected her of holding back.

He glanced once more at the hole and then wisely decided to listen to Sakura for a change, and not to try to escape.

* * *

_Please review for this poor starter XD._

_P.S. This is the first time I have two stories running at the same time. I'll try to give both stories equal attention, but it's a gamble. Please do not criticize me because of it!_


	2. The Choices We Make

_Hey people....after a long time, here's the new chapter._

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Chapter 2: The Choices We Make

Sasuke did as he had told himself, to stay quietly in the room and not to cause any problems.

Many times a day, nurses would come for status-checkups, and Sasuke seriously started to think they only came to see the legendary last Uchiha, if it weren't for the fact that they wanted to be gone as quick as possible.

Sakura came once a day, and Sasuke found himself waiting for her to come, the only female around here, he could fairly tolerate around him. Both the boredom as the annoying nurses made him wanting to discover more about this new Sakura's life.

This new person was fairly interesting.

She never changed her look on her face while being with him and she would only inform him about his medical status.

The Sakura he had known, had been chatty, never shutting up for a second about her life.

This Sakura told him nothing.

He'd even go to the point of _asking_, if she lived alone, if she had been saving a lot of patients lately, heck, he'd even asked her if she had a boyfriend.

How uncharacteristic of him, he cursed himself.

The first question she had answered with a: "What do you think Uchiha?"

The second question had been answered with her telling him, she saved more than he killed. It had been a painful blow to his pride, but she had looked smugly as if she was well aware of that.

The last answer had been none of his business, as she had told him nicely.

It had only resulted in him being smacked around the room, again, and he had found himself yet again on the ground.

It had clearly been none of his business.

Like this, the week passed and with no visitors and no ideas on how to become stronger, Sasuke was almost bored to death.

It was just impossible to meditate 14 hours a day!

What an heroic way to die.

"Hey bastard! Didn't I tell you not to cause any problems and that you wouldn't get away with it?" The blonde's voice came one morning. Naruto stood in the doorway and was observing the hole in the wall.

"Hm, it's bigger than mine usually are," he commented.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, though in agreement.

Naruto snickered at the so-called criminal pouting like a little kid. "Your face is decorated with two bruises. I guess the first one is probably from when you tried to escape? How did you get Sakura-chan so angry that she literally slammed you into the wall?" Naruto asked, observing the still nasty bruise on Sasuke's jaw.

Sakura had refused to heal that: saying that she wasn't a first-aid kit. He didn't get smacked for that fortunately.

"I told her, I could easily get past her, because I did it before," Sasuke mumbled. Why was he telling the dobe that much?

Naruto laughed shortly, "Really Sasuke, that's like putting salt in the wound. Sakura-chan is very sensitive about that subject," he said.

Sasuke pressed his lips together. 'No, duh! I figured out that much,' Sasuke thought sarcastically.

Naruto rubbed his own cheek, "How did you get that beautiful black eye? Sakura-chan wouldn't have another reason to hit you right?" he pushed the subject.

Sasuke groaned, "By asking if she had a boyfriend," he admitted.

This resulted in Naruto getting a loud laughing-fit for almost 3 whole minutes. "Say you didn't," he snickered. Sasuke looked away and thus, answering the question.

Naruto smirked, "You really have a way with riling her up, don't you?" he said.

Sasuke let out a strangled growl, "Why the hell did she get so angry, i was only asking," he mumbled.

Naruto crossed his arms, "I know it isn't really my place to tell you this because Sakura-chan wouldn't want you to know but she has never dated once," he told. He shrugged, "Not that we haven't tried her to and it wasn't for the fact that there weren't any suitors, don't get me wrong, she has a lot. But she hasn't gone into their advances," Naruto went on.

Sasuke sniggered softly, "Dobe, except for you and Rock Lee, no-one has ever had a real eye for her," he said.

Naruto pinched his eyes, "and you are calling yourself a man? Funny, that the one with the most sharp eyes, seems to be blind. 'Cause I hate to break the news to you, but she has become quite the woman. I mean, I have Hinata now, but she still stays an eye-catcher, though more like the beautiful sister I have to protect," he said.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "beautiful sister? All I see is a violent vixen."

Before these words had left his lips, a fist connected with his cheek and Sasuke flew to the headboard of his bed once again.

While Sasuke blinked the flashes away and Naruto tried his best not to laugh, Sakura smiled. "Thanks for your kind words, Naruto, but please, his head is already filled enough with stupid ideas, don't put in some more. Besides, what will Hinata think?" she said kindly.

Naruto grinned at her, "She would agree with me, Sakura-chan!" he said cheerfully.

Sakura smiled and ushered him to the door, "Alright, alright, go already. I have to give Sasuke-san his final check-up."

Naruto raised his brows but didn't say anything as he left the room. Sakura sighed, "Well, then, Uchiha, let's give you that final check-up," she said coldly.

Sasuke frowned, "And now, it's suddenly Uchiha, before you called me Sasuke-san." The suffix rolled in disgust over his tongue. It wasn't that he hated the name, but because he was not used being called that way.

Sakura looked icily at him, "You're not Sasuke-kun, if you mean that because that one is dead. You're just the villain and traitor Uchiha Sasuke. I only used the name for Naruto because he still believes you're his brother. To me, you're nothing more than a piece of dirt under my shoe," she told him.

She pushed his chest to check his rib-case. She did it a little harder than necessary and Sasuke would have winced if he wasn't...well, Sasuke.

Sakura smiled satisfied, smugly. "I can discharge you," she said. Then she walked to the door. "I will let you bring some clothes, tomorrow, they will get you for intelligence services," she said.

Sasuke's eyes darkened as she left. He had forgotten that he was still treated as a traitor and threat to the village. Of course the Hokage would want some information.

He sighed, and for the first time that he had woken up, he wondered what would become of him.

Later that day a nurse brought him clothes. They were shapeless grey detention clothes with pants to the middle of his shin and sleeves to the half of his arm. The nurse had explained, when he had looked at it in disgust, that it was because of security reasons and that there was no possibility of hiding weapons unseen.

Grudgingly, Sasuke had complied to wearing them. He had no doubt that if he refused, Sakura would come and forcefully shove him into the clothes. He still had his dignity and to be dressed by his former teammate, would have a huge impact on it.

When the nurse had left and he had dressed, Sasuke walked to the window. Surely he had tried to escape through it but he had not looked at the view outside.

When he looked he raised a brow.

The view on the village wasn't the same anymore. Somebody who didn't know wouldn't notice, but he, Sasuke, had grown up in this village and the differences were clearly visible for his trained eyes. Most of the buildings were new, and others were rebuilt.

Only now Sasuke noticed how much the war had affected daily life.

He then saw an orange blur go through the village, probably Naruto's own version of the yellow flash of his father, and Sasuke wondered slightly if the dobe's favorite ramen-stand Ichiraku would still be on his old place. He still remembered the girl Ayame and her obsession of making ramen.

He snickered, no, Naruto would still eat his favorite food.

"Uchiha Sasuke!" a hoarse but loud voice said. Sasuke looked around to come face to face with Tsunade.

"What?" he asked.

A brow twitched in her face but she kept her anger in check. Instead she smiled smugly.

"I have a proposal for you," she said.

Sasuke smirked, "Doesn't that usually happen _after _interrogation?"

Tsunade snickered, "That's the whole point. Anyway, you can choose your own interrogator," she said.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "What's the deal?" he asked.

Tsunade crossed her arms, "I want to you to see the change in your _friends_ and how much they're able and _willing_ to hurt you," she said.

Sasuke found this only plausible and thought about it. The whole Hyuuga clan was dropped immediately. It didn't matter how shy Hinata was, if the Hokage asked, she would obey. And that Hyuuga Neji was out of the question, he just didn't like the prospect of facing the gentle palm, and Byakugan without his chakra.

The weapon mistress and the Taijutsu kid from the same team were dropped away as well. The boy would be all too willing to hurt him because of hurting Sakura, and the weapon-mistress was even scarier, she just didn't care and that arsenal of weapons were a little too much for his health.

Aburame had its bugs and Sasuke felt itchy thinking about it. Kiba wasn't good an option, Akamaru would have grown now, and things could get bloody. Yamanaka Ino wasn't an option too. He wasn't about to let an ex-fan girl in his head, and especially one thirsty for revenge for her best friend. Her teammates weren't tempting. (Choosing between being squished and to be forced to do things by his shadow was just impossible)

Sasuke felt his mind linger on Naruto, but really, when that guy got mad, things wouldn't look good for him.

So he decided on Sakura. The ex-fan girl sure wouldn't hurt him too bad.

"Haruno Sakura," he replied Tsunade at last.

The blonde Hokage raised a brow at him, as if surprised. "You sure?" she asked.

Sasuke nodded slowly.

Tsunade sighed and shrugged, "If you say so," she said. Then when walking to the door, she turned just like Sakura, "Oh, and Sasuke? ANBU will come get you tomorrow at dawn, please make sure you're ready on time!" she said and left.

Sasuke sighed, why did everything have to get more and more complicated as time passes.

"TEME!!!!!" Naruto yelled.

Sasuke felt his ears pop. "Dobe," he replied the loudmouth. It almost felt like old times, keyword being almost. It would have been more real if Naruto didn't keep smiling that forced, that strained.

Sasuke knew it cost Naruto a lot of effort. Almost 6 years of trying, he surely must have been tired out with chasing him.

Sasuke's eye twitched, "What?" he asked as Naruto kept glaring at him endlessly.

"You didn't tell me," he said.

Sasuke leaned back with his arms crossed, "What?" he asked again, a little more annoyed this time.

Naruto huffed, "You didn't tell me you would be put in prison after this," he muttered insulted.

Sasuke smirked, "Dobe, I thought you knew. Everybody knows, I am an S-classified criminal after all," he said

Naruto pouted, "Teme, I didn't bring you back to be put in prison," he whined.

Sasuke smirked again, "Things will get even better even, I'll be interrogated," he said.

Naruto winced, "Ino, Ibiki?" he asked.

Sasuke shook his head. "No, I got to choose. I said Sakura," he told him.

Naruto opened his cobalt-blue eyes, "What?! You chose _Sakura?_" he asked astounded. "Do you know what you have done?!"

Sasuke frowned, "I only chose the one most profitable for me," he said.

Naruto shook his head furiously, "You didn't!!" he croaked.

Sasuke sighed, "Why then, the Sakura I knew couldn't hurt a fly," he said exasperated.

Naruto raked his hair, "Flies? Yeah, that would be right, she doesn't hurt a single fly. But criminals? That's a different case. She does not know of mercy when it comes to them. And Sasuke? Sorry to brake it to you..." he chuckled darkly, "...but Sakura can drink your blood nowadays," he said in terror.

Sasuke closed his eyes, "How can you say..." but he was interrupted by Naruto again.

"She was kicked out of the ANBU-interrogation team, Sasuke," he said. "She interrogated some sort of a spy with extraordinary chakra-levels and considered dangerously, and he never came out sane enough to talk. Surely she got the right information she wanted, but the man itself was broken. They said she was just not fit for interrogating," he said and leaned back.

"With all her medical jutsu, she's a fearful interrogator. She can do it without any feeling at al, Sasuke. She told me the mild version of her interrogations, and I had to ask her to stop." Naruto said.

Sasuke stayed silent, the information gnawing at the pit of his stomach.

A nurse knocked on the door and a moment later, she peeked a head around the door. "Naruto-sama? I must asked you to leave. No visitors are allowed past this hour," she said.

Naruto nodded and the nurse left.

Sasuke looked a tad amused at him, "Naruto-sama?" he inquired.

Naruto grinned, "What saving a village can't do for your image," he said and with a wave of his hand he left.

Sasuke closed his eyes as he laid on the hospital-bed, tired of the plain walls and ceiling. He wondered why Sakura was such a fearful person. For a doctor she had shown anything but polite kindness, save for his (deserved) punches, to him, who was her patient.

Sasuke rolled over on his side and suddenly the question of how many sides he would be seeing of the people he had known, rose inside of him.

The next morning, Sasuke had awoken right on time. It was odd at least but as he had stayed here, he had slept better than in the past six years. He had not once awoken of the screaming of experiments as in Orochimaru's lair, or to the high-pitched voice of Karin, gushing over how cute he was when sleeping.

Sasuke frowned at the thought: he was _not _cute.

Now that he thought about it, he had absolutely no idea what had happened of his team and he was suddenly reminded of it. He did not exactly care, but he had rather not have a screaming Karin around his neck or a berserk Yuugo around the village.

An ANBU suddenly was beside him and if Sasuke hadn't known that the man was coming, he would have been surprised.

"Uchiha Sasuke?" the ANBU asked.

Sasuke nodded shortly.

The ANBU placed a hand at his neck and suddenly Sasuke felt a lot weaker. He did just only realised how much his body depended on his chakra. He should actually have fainted a long time ago, Sasuke noted as he struggled to stay upright.

"This should be enough chakra drained," the ANBU said as he removed his hand. Sasuke felt a lot for snarling at the person, if he didn't feel that weak.

"Please don't make an attempt at escaping," the ANBU said as he cuffed Sasuke's hand. Feeling like dog on a leash he followed the man.

There were little people on the streets, and soon they were walking in the woods surrounding Konoha, to where Sasuke knew the Konoha prison was placed. He felt relieved for that since the people within the village had looked at him with both curious as frightened eyes.

The sole surviving Uchiha, and the traitor.

No doubt they compared him with his brother.

As the concrete building came in view, Sasuke remembered he wasn't here for a walk down memory-lane. He knew this was the place with the biggest and worst criminals alive, and the joke was: he was exactly the same as them, maybe worse. He would soon be placed between them.

The ANBU knocked on the metal doors, and they opened screeching. Sasuke could feel the chakra coming from those gates, making sure that no-one would be able to leave without permission. Sasuke found it resembled the kind of chakra structure that had kept him within his hospital room.

As they entered the yard within the prison, Sasuke noticed no prisoners at all.

"They are being kept inside because of you," his escort said.

Sasuke frowned, "Why?" he asked.

The ANBU kept walking, "because many of them bear a grudge to you, because of your Uchiha name. Or they might want to team up with you for an out-break. It's no use. Although their chakra is being kept low, yours is even less," he said indifferently.

Sasuke felt himself grow annoyed, as he realized how weak he actually was.

The ANBU knocked on another door, one of the smaller buildings within the complex. The bigger blocks were probably for cells, but this one was significantly smaller. Again the metal door opened slowly and gave entrance to a long hallway. Vaguely in Sasuke's mind rose the thought that the doors opened by themselves since all the ANBU seemed to do was knocking.

Then suddenly the door slammed shut behind them and Sasuke felt as if he was back in one of Orochimaru's lairs, with fire-candles at the walls. The ANBU still continued calmly and Sasuke knew he had no choice but to follow. And so he did.

After seemingly forever, the ANBU opened a door and signed to the chair in the room, "Please wait here," he said.

Sasuke nodded and sat uncomfortable down on the chair. With a loud 'clunk', the door fell shut and Sasuke was alone again. He took time to study the room and found no obvious weak points. The room was except for the chair empty and the stone walls made feel it like a dungeon. Sasuke wondered what for Konoha would need such a room, but then again, there were also leaf-ninja like Ibiki.

As Sasuke spent longer in the room, he began to trace different chakra signatures. A lot of them. They were not exactly strong but they seemed to have drenched in the walls.

"And? Do you like it in here?" the female voice he knew so well, asked.

Surprised, Sasuke found Sakura standing in the room. He hadn't heard her enter at all.

"What is this place?" he asked.

Sakura smirked, "I don't remember you speaking all that much. What happened to Hn?" she mocked.

Sasuke grimaced slightly, "Hn, just answer the question, Sakura," he said annoyed.

Big mistake. That seemingly frail hand collided with his face as Sakura hit him hard. The place burned on his face. "I'm not sure you understand, Uchiha. I'm the one questioning here, and you're the one answering," she said sickening sweet.

Sasuke blinked the spots in his eyes away.

"But, I'll answer this once. You're in Konoha prison." she said.

Sasuke resisted the urge to snort that came at the obvious statement as he saw the kunoichi's eyes flash.

"And this is my interrogation-room," she continued.

Sasuke frowned as he remembered Naruto's remark, "You wasn't allowed to interrogate anyone, anymore," he said.

Sakura narrowed her eyes, "Ah, so you asked around about me?" she said. In a few steps she stood beside the chair and pulled Sasuke's hair back roughly, and Sasuke's face was turned upwards. Sasuke bit his teeth not to show anything and only then he noticed he wasn't able to move.

"You're quite right, Uchiha, I am not allowed anymore on paper. That doesn't mean I don't help the Hokage out sometimes. Off the records of course," she said in his ear. Her breath went down his neck, and Sasuke shivered.

There was nothing left of that young Sakura, Sasuke concluded. Her words were able to cut through him like a blade.

"But, Naruto..." he began but Sakura snickered softly.

"The boy doesn't know. Nobody knows. They wouldn't approve of sweet little Sakura doing this," she said. Then she leaned in and again Sasuke could feel her breath on his skin. "This will be our little secret, ne?" she said, her voice like velvet. Somehow Sasuke didn't enjoy this.

She then pulled his hair even harder, and Sasuke groaned slightly at the pain. And suddenly she released again. She kicked his chair from under him, and Sasuke fell with chair and all on the ground, his hands tied, unable to catch himself.

"What do you want to know of me," Sasuke growled from the ground.

Sakura pulled the chair straight again, with his shoulder and gave a clear laugh, "There isn't anything I don't want to know," she said. She grabbed his chin with two fingers, "And the funny part is, that you're going to tell me everything I want to know."

* * *

_Gosh, this took way too long...I'm so sorry for not updating earlier._

_I really like Sakura that evil. Sasuke, you don't stand a chance_


	3. You Are Nothing

_Heya! Back again, with a new chapter of Coming for tomorrow. I hoped you like the last chapter, because here comes more. I'm slightly wondering if I should change the rating to M, it's kinda graphic if you ask me._

_But I am very sorry for not updating for so long!!! But because I turned 17 last week you guys will forgive me right? Oh yeah, one last thing. My english lacks at some points because my native language isn't english at all. True, there are a lot of english things around me, but I taught it myself mostly._

_I don't own Naruto or any of the characters. Otherwise I would have killed Sasuke long ago. Damned bastard._

_Enjoy!_

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Chapter 3: You are nothing

_Previous:_

_Sakura pulled the chair straight again, with his shoulder and gave a clear laugh, "There isn't anything I don't want to know," she said. She grabbed his chin with two fingers, "And the funny part is, that you're going to tell me everything I want to know."_

present:

"Everything?" Sasuke coughed from the fall.

Sakura smirked, "Everything, you have," she said.

Sasuke shook his head, "I can't tell you everything..." he started, but Sakura's fist collided with his jaw.

"Wrong answer, Uchiha," she said.

Sasuke spit out the blood from his mouth, and looked back at her, doing his best not to glare. "I can bear a lot of pain, my body is trained to do that," he said with a smirk on his face. True to that, Sasuke had went through a lot of pain during his time with Orochimaru, the man had thought, and was proven right, that it would harden him.

Sakura smiled back sweetly, "Ah, your body you say," she said. Straightening her black skirt and her red tank she raised a hand.

Suddenly Sasuke felt as if his lungs were squeezed together in his chest and he couldn't breath.

Then as suddenly the pain was gone, and Sasuke gasped for breath.

"Tell me Sasuke, did you train your organs?" Sakura asked sweetly and her smile widened when Sasuke glared at her, "Don't throw me that look Uchiha. I will make you talk and I haven't failed before," she said.

She walked to his back and leaned over his shoulder, the body heat very unsettling, "Can you feel that, Uchiha, the chakra of those who have been here before? They were as stubborn as you, but seemed not be able to stop their chakra from leaking," she whispered darkly.

Sasuke wasn't scared easily, and even if he was, he wouldn't admit it. But this new Sakura was creeping him out. His sweat was already running over his face, and he felt the top of his shirt going wet already.

The said female made a few hand signs and Sasuke felt that he was strapped to the chair even more, and another chair appeared from thin air.

"What the...?" he cursed. Not being used to be tied up and Sakura sitting there calmly had a certain nerve-wrecking over it. She blew lightly her hair out of her face, and Sasuke dully noted that her hair was longer than when he saw her last time. As far he could remember, it had been short that time.

Sakura smirked, "I found it easier to sit down. Interrogation is only effective when carried out for a long time," she said.

Sasuke looked questionable at the straps on his arms. Sakura caught on to it, "Oh that? Well, Uchiha, I can't let you go on a rampage," she said.

Sasuke opened his mouth to respond to this but then his breath stocked once more in his throat and the pain from before returned once again. Only this time, the pain was much worse.

It felt as if a knife with a rough blade was tearing him open from the inside. Sasuke clenched his teeth onto each other and tried not to scream, he settled for a groan.

Then suddenly the pain disappeared again, and Sasuke gasped for breath. He watched Sakura sitting there calmly with her arms crossed, her face almost serene. He hadn't even see her doing hand-seals. Sasuke glowered at her, "You don't mind hurting an old teammate, an old friend?" he growled softly.

Sakura frowned and her fist collided with his face once again. Sasuke was again forced to spit out the blood. But Sakura's eyes narrowed in annoyance and she made about five hand-seals and with the flicker of chakra he felt, Sasuke screamed from pain from his back.

Excrusiating pain.

The part not consumed in pain noted that she was slowly twisting his spine. He had to squeeze his eyes shut, not to make tears fall. Really, because an Uchiha doesn't cry.

Realization dawned over him that she could continue this for days. It took her almost no chakra at all.

"First things first, Uchiha. You are not a teammate anymore. That have you thrown away when you attacked with intend to kill. And a friend, Uchiha? Don't make me laugh. Since when have you been a friend to any of us? A companion at most. Naruto is a friend, he tries to be a friend. You..." she grabbed his chin harshly, "...are not."

Her eyes had now turned to slits and she clenched her fist. Sasuke screamed out again. That simple movement had twisted his spine again. She had twisted his back a quarter and Sasuke felt his legs go numb.

He couldn't feel a thing anymore.

"What did..." Sasuke said, breathing hard. The beads of sweat were almost getting into his eyes but he didn't care as much. He worried more about his legs.

"Is it hard, Uchiha?" Sakura asked sweetly.

Sasuke groaned, he couldn't feel his legs yet the pain in his back was almost unbearable. It brought him to the edge of unconsiousness, but he dared to say that he would be kept awake.

"Making me handicapped, is that your revenge on me?" he asked slowly.

Sakura laughed, her laugh unfittingly clear to Sasuke's ears. "Revenge? Is that what you think this is? I thought you knew all about revenge." She pushed herself up in one fluid motion and carressed his cheek with her fingers.

"I might enjoy this more that I should, yeah."

A painful sting erupted from his cheek and when he opened his eyes again, Sasuke saw blood on Sakura's long fingers. She seemed to be inspecting the blood.

"Funny," she said. "That your blood is still red." She kept looking at his blood on her fingers as Sasuke shivered, he suddenly felt very cold.

"After all you've done, you'd expect that your blood was black or something," she said. Sasuke hadn't felt this way in ages, cold fear spread through his body. Somehow he'd even prefer to go another round against Naruto.

Sakura sat back down, and from the look of her eyes, she wasn't quite finished with him yet.

(/\)

Sasuke lost track of time, he did not know whether it was day or night, or how long he exactly had been in that room. It could be a mere hour or days.

"Care for another round?" Sakura asked, still seated on that chair. Sasuke did not know how, but she had kept torturing him relentlessly. Throwing punches at him, making parts of his body burn endlessly or on the opposite, making feel like bodyparts died. She had even pulled kunai out and his skin decorated several died gashes.

Sasuke clenched his teeth, "Not really," he answered hoarsly, "Besides I would like to be able to keep moving my arms at least," he muttered.

Sakura laughed shortly, "So you're going to answer my questions?" she asked.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "If that's what it takes," he said tiredly.

Sakura shrugged, "Ah, too bad! I had thought you'd keep holding on a little longer," she said. "But then again, there's no need for that." She grabbed a notebook from her pocket.

"Well, first, why did you leave?" she asked.

Sasuke resisted the urge to snort, "You know why," he said.

Sakura tapped her pencil on the pad, "Routine questions for traitors, Uchiha," she said shortly.

Sasuke sighed, "I left for power, that I was hoping to gain at Orochimaru," he said calmly.

Sakura scribbled something on her pad, "And why didn't you ask for approval from the village and did you attack your pursuers?" she continued.

Again, Sasuke resisted the urge to raise a brow, "Because I was sure I wouldn't have gotten that approval and the pursuers were on my back to come back," he replied. H esaw Sakura's jaw tighten and realized she was still angry about knocking her out.

"What has been your occupation in your missing years?"

Sasuke looked away, "I've been training the first three years like a madman and making sure I wouldn't be found by the shinobi villages. After that I set out on a journey to kill my brother. I have also been requited for Akatsuki," he said.

Sakura nodded and scribbled something on her paper, "Did you have companions, and if yes, then who are they?" she continued.

"The first few years, there were Orochimaru and Kabuto. Orochimaru is dead, I don't know about Kabuto. Later I formed a team of four. Suigetsu, a man consisting out of water, Karin, a female who has a tracking ability and a strange healing one, and Juuko, the origine of the cursed seal," Sasuke said. These questions started to get annoying.

But Sakura seemed not have finished yet. "Did you have intentions of attacking Konohagakure?" If yes, why so?" Sakura asked with a straight face. She knew damn well what the answer was to that.

Sasuke realized he wouldn't let of so easily, she wasn't even intending to release his wrist, still tied to the chair. "I had. When I was taken in by Uchiha Madara, I was told my brother had sacrificed himself in order from the elders. I wanted revenge," he said.

Sakura nodded, again with the straight face, "Is there an invasion we can expect anytime soon that you know off?" she asked.

Sasuke's shook his head, and apparently Sakura's patience was a short line today. Sasuke felt the fist collide with his jaw once again.

"I asked a question," Sakura said.

Sasuke spit out the blood, that had welled up in his mouth, "Not that I am aware off. The only thing I can think off is my team, wanting me back. They can be stopped easily when apart, by the right people," he said coldly. He felt as if he had been talking for hours and that metallic taste in his mouth didn't help for one bit.

Sakura tapped her foot unpatiently, "Did you kill people worth noticing or innocent, allies or enemies, while you were away?" Sakura continued relentlessly.

Sasuke eyes her strangly, "What does that have to do with anything? Killing is a part of being a ninja," he disagreed.

Sakura chuckled shortly as she pushed a pink lock of hair behind her ear, "You're not a ninja right now. You're a criminal that is going to be judged by a punishment council. This might be a influence to their judgement," she said.

Sasuke remembered her explaining the chakra system in this same voice and suddenly the situation felt unreal. He stretched his fingers as good as he could, they were feeling cramped up, and he needed to distract himself from the ever burning pain in his back and the numbness in his legs.

"I killed people, yeah," he answered. "Worth noticing are Orochimaru, Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Madara, and this village's Root Anbu leader, Danzo. I did no such thing as killing innocent people on purpose, nor did I seek out unnessecary murder," he said.

Sakura nodded as she scribbled the names on paper. She knew that killing exactly these people wouldn't do anything bad for his cause. She looked up and Sasuke felt the urge to gulp under her stare.

"Then, can you give your word linked to your chakra that you will rely in the decision that will be made about you fate?" she asked, coldly. Her tone gave away that she didn't believe it at all that he would do it.

Because Sasuke knew that if he gave his word now and he wanted to break it later, that it would be an immediate death-sentence for him, his own chakra would kill him, no matter how limited it was. The oath would give the one controlling it, immediate power over his life, which as it would seem would be Sakura.

'Then he again,' he contemplated, 'if I don't give my word now, I'll be dead no matter anyhow.'

So he looked up and placed his eyes on Sakura's face. "You have my word that no matter what the decision will be, I will obey," he said. The shock in Sakura's eyes told him that she had, in fact, not expected him to give her that kind of control.

But she nodded and stood up from her chair, "You will stay here as I debrief this to the Hokage. It's her decision whether this interrogation is over or not," she said. Then she wanted to walk out of the door but Sasuke called her back.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" he asked.

Sakura looked back over her shoulders, and Sasuke swore that he saw amusement in her green eyes, "No, I don't believe I did," she said and with a loud metallic bang, the door fell shut behind her.

Sasuke took a few breaths to force his anger down so that he wouldn't explode. But he couldn't believe, he didn't want to believe that she had left him in this state, his legts paralyzed and his arms strapped. And then there was the depletion of chakra that made him feel sick.

"That...that...!" he wanted to curse but he couldn't find the right words. But then he realized how much exactly she must hate him to be able to leave him like that. And he now realized how mean he had been to her.

To Naruto, too, of course, but that one had already beaten the living daylights out of him.

He sighed, after all, six years is a long time for a wound either to heal or to fester.

So instead of focusing on his anger and the cruelness of leaving him in this state, he tried to get the feeling back in his body. His cheek already trobbed from when Sakura had scratched his skin deeply and his jaw felt like it was beaten out of its place.

It was a painful and tiresome process to pinpoint the exact places he thought were hurt, and slowly everyone were turning back to how they should feel, except for the dull throb that Sasuke knew, healed by time.

All but his legs.

Sasuke did not know much about the human body but he feared that Sakura had severed his nerves in his spine.

He groaned.

'Welcome home,' he thought.

_Damn....I should have written more!_

_Please review people, I don't want to annoy you with this request but not many people do it out of their own accord. And come on! 11 reviews for 2 chapters, that's sad, even for me!_


	4. Because You Don't Deserve That Chance

_I'm back with a whole new chapter. I finally got a new laptop with a good accu, so I hope that I'll be able to type more. Please enjoy and don't forger to review._

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Chapter 4: Because you don't deserve that chance

Four days had passed since he had entered the cold grey, and stone cell, and Sasuke was sure he would go insane. There hadn't anybody come for him, for he had been severed off from the world of the living and therefor he had also no options for sanarities.

He felt humiliated and at the same time angry for the inhuman conditions.

Then suddenly somebody opened the heavy metal door and blinking against the sudden light after days of darkness, Sasuke noticed it was Sakura.

She scrunched up her nose because of the smell probably and Sasuke wondered how bad exactly it was. The question answered itself.

"Through that door, you'll find a shower," she said as she put clothes down and shook her head to a door Sasuke hadn't noticed before. Too tired and deprived of nessairities, Sasuke didn't even wonder if there had been a genjutsu over it, or if he had been blind before.

Sakura seemed to want to leave quickly.

"And how do you suppose I'll take that shower," Sasuke asked her mockingly.

Sakura turned around and realization made way to her face, "Would you look at that, it seems that I did forget something," she said, her brows high. She made some handseals and the ropes around Sasuke's wrists disappeared.

Sasuke wanted to curse at her but was too glad that his arms were finally released.

"I only released you, because you have no chakra left, and you have that chakra oath around your neck," Sakura said.

Sasuke glared at her, "What about my legs? You twisted my spine, remember?

Sakura smirked, "Of course I remember. I will fix that after you have showered," she said.

When she sat down, Sasuke realized she wasn't going anywhere. And that was the biggest humiliation to him, that she would, that anyone would see him in this pathetic state. But he wouldn't get any younger, and definitely not cleaner. So he pushed himself of the chair, using the armrests to lift himself and fell ungracious on the floor.

Sasuke took note of Sakura's amused look when he dragged himself over that very same floor, and he looked down at the floor angrily and didn't say anything. He was furious at her, and yet he couldn't do a thing to her.

When he reached his clothes he recognized them as his own, with the Uchiha crest on the back.

"Naruto picked them up at the Uchiha estate, he thought you would appreciate it," Sakura answered his silent question.

Sasuke nodded, so the clothes were not really his, but those of his father or brother. His own clothes wouldn't fit him anymore. "How did he know where to look?"he asked tiredly.

Sakura sighed, "Because he had insisted that he would be the one cleaning up your estate when he got back in the village."

Sasuke found the prospect of Naruto cleaning strange, so he asked as he picked up the clothes and threw them over a shoulder: "Did you help him?"

Sakura chuckled, "I did, but to me, it was assigned a mission," she said, and that was that. She didn't want to talk about it, so Sasuke didn't ask further, he didn't need to be pounded in the floor when he already could barely move.

Instead he dragged himself to the shower, as Sakura said was through the wooden door. It was build exactly the same way as the other room had. The same cold stones and the same darkness. A sole metal showerhead and a knob gave away that it was in fact a shower.

But Sasuke turned on the water of the shower, relieved, though barely reaching the button. Even so, he was glad to wash away all the grease and things better not defined from his body, that he had aquired over the days.

The water was cold but it made him forget the pain from his back and the numbness of his legs. Just the fact that he was barely sitting reminded him that there was a part of his body basically useless flesh.

Blinking his eyes and shaking away the perfect silence in his head, he turned off the water, and dried himself which Sakura had apparently put with his clothes.. He struggled dressing himself, but he could make it back in the room in not all too much time.

Upon entering the room, he too scrunched his nose slightly. If he had smelled like that, it was no wonder that Sakura didn´t want to come close, it was almost as if a person had died in there, not quite the same smell, but just as bad.

The female in the room made some handseals, and the smell was gone before Sasuke knew it. "That's the benifit of having a room drained with your own chakra, you can do almost anything with it," she muttered.

Sasuke realized she could have done much worse, now knowing this information. But he decided not to reply and waited for her to heal his back.

First she shackled him with heavy chains but then at least she started healing his back. Over the years Sasuke had learned that healing the nerve-system was the hardest thing to do because of the microscopic cells, and even if he knew that Sakura had a good chakra control, he would rather die then have her heal his nerve-system. But as things would seem, he would indeed die without her help, and he basically didn't have a choice.

But only after five minutes the warm and steady flow of chakra that Sasuke could feel but not touch, disappeared, indicating Sakura was done.

And he found that when he tried, he had no troubles moving his legs.

"You will have no trouble moving," Sakura said as she stood up. "But don't even think of escaping."

Sasuke nodded as he stood up slowly, a little bit shaky, but they didn't falter. Suddenly Sasuke wondered how good of a medic she actually was.

"You ready now?" Sakura asked unpatiently.

Sasuke frowned at her again, "For what?" he asked. No way in hell would he go to an even worse place than this.

Sakura rolled her eyes, "To your trial of course, you really thought I was kind enough to bring you clothes for nothing. What else did you think?" she mocked.

Of course she wouldn't have another reason for kindness towards him. "I thought that there wouldn't be a trial untill way later," Sasuke said.

Sakura scoffed at him, "For some reason your trial is important enough for quick-law. Depending on the outcome, there will be a continuing trial, but that can in multiple months time," she said. Then she dragged him with her, holding on to the chain that he was chackled on.

He stumbled foreward, surprising himself, at the sudden rough movement. Outside, he blinked against the sunlight, and again he felt as there had been opened a door to him from the darkness. It did resemble reality enough. 'Ironic, that it is such a good day,' Sasuke thought grudgingly and then scolded himself, as Sakura dragged him away from the prison.

Uchiha Sasuke was above commenting on the weather.

Suddenly two cloaked figures appeared in front of them. Sakura stopped unfazed and looked straight into the masks of the ANBU. "We will escort you to the tribunal," one of them said, With a nod, Sakura agreed and they continued in a group.

A strange one at that. A pink small kunoichi in front holding onto a chain with a chackled man behind her, one that peered at least a head and a half above her, sided by two cloaked and masked persons.

Sasuke noticed they weren't going back to the village but rather went around it. Then suddenly a building appeared from the nothing and Sasuke wondered why he hadn't seen it before. But then it dawned on him that the building probably was hidden with a genjutsu. He wanted to look back to see what happened behind him but Sakura gave an additional pull on his chackled.

"Don't even think about using Sharingan here, you would be dead by the first time you blinked," Sakura said without looking back.

Sasuke smirked, "And you wouldn't save me?" he mocked.

This time Sakura did turn around and her green eyes bore into his black ones, "I would be delivering the first blow," she said. Somehow Sasuke didn't think she was joking.

One of the ANBU knocked on the door of the building, a tall solid building, apparently made from the same substance as the hokage building. Everything was probably deemed okay and they were allowed to pass.

Sakura stopped as soon the door had closed behind them and handed one of the ANBU Sasuke's chain. After that she disappeared without saying a word in a cloud of Sakura petals. It seemed an awefull lot like the poofing Kakashi-sensei had done.

The ANBU on the right sighed, "I told so that that way of puffing around attracts too much attention," he said.

Sasuke eyed the man, he was only a little smaller than he was, "Where did she go, wasn't she supposed to stay guard?" he asked.

The man looked back, (Sasuke thought so at least, it was hard to say because of those masks). "She's the first subordinate of the Hokage, head of medics and one of our finest kunoichi. Ask yourself, where would she stand? Guard next to you, or next to the hokage as advisor and representation of the rookie 11?" he said dryly.

Sasuke didn't respond, the answer was pretty clear. But then something dawned on him, "Rookie 11?" he asked.

The ANBU nodded, "Of course, none of them are Rookies anymore, but respectively jounin or ANBU," he chuckled, "Or in Uzumaki Naruto's and Haruno Sakura's case: sannin."

Sasuke nodded as he realized that the rookie 11 was the group of Ninja that had participated in the chuunin exams the same time as he did. It was unexpectedly painful to hear that the group had become so tight to be called in one breath. He shook his head, 'I shouldn't be hurt about this, I was the one who decided to leave,' and then he scolded himself some more because he really shouldn't be worrying about it.

"They are ready for us to come," the ANBU on the left commented and the other nodded.

"Let's get this traitor inside then," he said.

Sasuke had to bite away a growl, wanting to say that he wasn't exactly a traitor, but this trial alone proved that he was indeed a traitor. Sasuke was forced to follow as the two elite-ninja went trough particularly large doors, which gave entrance to what seemed a court.

A set of somewhat elder people were seated on higher ground and Sasuke was forced to look up to see them. The people were probably clan-heads, as he decivered the pale eyes of the Hyuuga or the massive body of an Akimichi in the group.

He frowned slightly when his chains were fastened on another ring.

When he had entered some people had began to murmur to each other, and Sasuke caught the words 'Uchiha' and 'massacre' and 'Fate' a few times. Sasuke felt the urge to glare at them but that wouldn't be profitable for his case so he held his eyes pointed to the ground before him.

"Yes people, it's the Uchiha's case, can you please shut up about it?" Tsunade bolted and the murmur disappeared. Tsunade rubbed her cheek, "Ok then. Uchiha Sasuke? I take that you know why you're here?" she said, diverting her attention to Sasuke.

Sasuke looked up at Tsunade and made note that Sakura stood behind the blond hokage."I do," he replied.

Tsunade folded her hands, "And you don't deny the charges?" she asked.

Sasuke refrained from smirking, "If I am allowed to know the exact charges against me," he said.

Tsunade nodded and ruffled trough her paperword. "Ah yes, here it is," she said. "The charges are: betrayal of the village, siding with the enemy, gathering a team of considered criminals, plans on attacking the Hidden Leaf and attacking and killing Konoha Shinobi," she said in one breath.

Sasuke grimaced slightly: if you put it that way, he wasn't exactly the kindest kid on the block.

"Well, do you admit you're guilty of these things?" Tsunade pressed.

Sasuke looked up at her, "Of some of them I don't deny being guilty. However, I must deny I ever killed faithful Leaf Shinobi. It's true that I leave the village without permission and I did attack my persuers. I did also gather a team around me, but even if they are criminals, thet haven't misbehaved while being under my command," he said.

The second man from the left, with a threesome of scars on his face scraped his throat, "Even if you say that, you still had plans of attacking the village," he said.

Sasuke turned to the man, "that's only half of the truth. I had plans of attacking this place with the intent of killing the elders who had ordered my brother to kill my clan. But after killing Danzo and learnig that ones responsible are dead, my resolve proved itself empty," he told the man.

He heard Tsunade sigh, "You're awefully honest aren't you?" she muttered.

"But," another woman protested, "You said you didn't kill faithful Konoha Ninja, and now you're telling us you were the ine who killed Danzo," she said, her voice painfully shrieking.

Sasuke smirked slightly this time, "My defence to that is that Danzo was in no way a faithful Ninja," he said.

The woman blinked, "What are you saying, Danzo was a..."

"A power-obsessed schemer," Sasuke said. "I do not claim that I am free of longing for power, and I also do not claim that the Uchiha clan had been without flaws, that would be too prideful. But killing members of my clan, my family because of their eyes and implanting them on your body was unforgivable to me. If he had taken my eyes as well, he would have had enough power to extract the Kyuubi from Naruto and control it," he said, explaining the situation.

The head were deadly quiet as Sasuke continued, "I don't know his motives, nor am I interested, but extracting wouldn't have been good either way," Sasuke said.

The council stayed quiet for a moment to think it over. "And you killed Itachi and the assumed Madara too?" some man asked.

Sasuke nodded, "I did," he affirmed. Although he had wanted to take revenge, after killing his brother Sasuke had felt drained. It was exactly as Kakashi had told him.

Tsunade sat back, "So besides attacking fellow leaf, leaving without that permission and gathering that team, I don't see any acts of evil," she said.

"And what about siding with Orochimaru and Akatsuki?" the woman from before said loudly.

Tsunade laughed, "But hasn't he killed Orochimaru and Madara himself? And Kabuto's dead as well with regards to Sakura here," she saifd, her voice sounded proud.

'So that's were Kabuto went,' Sasuke thought, he had wondered before what had happened to the treacherous medic from Orochimaru's place.

Tsunade sighed, "We can have a very long discussion about this but I don't feel like it and Shizune has a load of paperwork for me, and had on top of that hidden my we're going to do this the easy way. People who vote for deathpenalty, raise your hand!"

In a flash Sasuke feared that they all would raise their hands, but only two out of twelve actually did.

Tsunade smirked, "Uchiha Sasuke, you won't be sentenced to death. Isn't that great?" she said.

Sasuke wasn't sure if it was a real question but he felt a lot like laughing because of the relieve. It became apparent that it wasn't a question as Tsunade continued.

"Therefore I will decide his actual punishment," she said. Some of the elders murmured disapprovingly but Tsunade glared at them. "I will not go in a discussion for hours just because you can't decide," she growled at them.

The murmers stopped at once and Tsunade looked smug. "That's what I thought. Good, now to decide the punishment..." her voice died as she thought. "Ah! I have it. Uchiha Sasuke, hereby are you sentenced to a year of locking away your chakra-levels, and half a year of not leaving the compound alone. Your present chakra-oath will stand untill you have proven yourself loyal to the village," she said.

Sasuke didn't show anything at this, but inwardly he cursed: he was once again robbed from his freedom. But then again, he inflicted this all on himself, even when he was young back then. He should have expected something far worse. This wasn't a harsh punishment.

"And since I have Naruto on active duty all the time, and his missions for alliances with the other countries, I assign Haruno Sakura as your babysitter, seeing that those two have at least some control over you," Tsunade said. Sasuke had winced at the term babysitter. Couldn't she just have said care-taker or something?

The blond hokage rubbed her sleep with two fingers, "You are really a coldhearted bastard, aren't you?" she asked. This was rethorical, Sasuke figured.

But that really was one of the worst things she could have done. Didn't he try to sever those ties with his former teammates? Didn't he shatter Sakura at a supposedly terrible way, Sasuke couldn't still see, how he did so.

But yeah, it was a perfectly fine idea to let the kunoichi that had slammed him onto a wall, and had taken his ability to walk, (he purposedly didn't think of how she had healed him too) to be his care-taker. Oh and let's not forget the fact she was a former fangirl too.

At least he wasn't sentenced to death, though Sasuke debated if it wasn't just a prolonging of his death.

Tsunade slammed her fists down on the table, "That's it, we're done here. Uchiha, your free to go through the village as you please. But if I hear bad things about you, I'll make sure you won't live to see the day," she threatened. Then she left with an impressing whip of her hair.

The other council-members shuffled away, softly mumbling to each other. Only then Sasuke realized he hadn't seen Sakura disappear at all.

When the upper platform was empty, the ANBU beside him, stepped foreward. "Well, Uchiha Sasuke, it seems as if you're a free man, " the ANBU from before said.

Sasuek raised a brow and then looked at the shackles around his wrists, "I would be without these," he said.

The ANBU nodded and both of the two secret service members concentrated while making the seals for releasing him. Sasuke suddenly realized how precise the seal on the metal had been, as he traced the chakra-structure with his own chakra.

No wonder it took two ANBU to break the seal. The structure was designed in a way that resembled Sasuke of two knots put together in a way, that you needed to untie the first knot by untying the other one, and vica versa. With this kind of chakra-use, the only way to break it, was by brute force.

At that moment something happened he hadn't thought of happening: his respect for Sakura grew. And then suddenly, it was over. The traces of chakra were gone and the cuffs fell from his wrists.

"Where do you want to go now, Uchiha Sasuke?" one ANBU asked. Sasuke pondered about this, he could go to Naruto's favorite place, Ichiraku Ramen. Maybe seeing his old friend, would lift his burden a little. He felt as if he had seen and felt too much grief lately. But he shook his head.

"The Uchiha compound," he only said.

The ANBU nodded and told him, he would be watched and then poofed away. If it weren't for the fact he hardly couldn't be shocked anymore, he would have been surprised.

Instead, he went for the exit. He could finally go to the place that resembled home the most.

* * *

_Done, finally! Next chapter, finally a little Sakura narrating...for some reason I suck at writing her._

_Edit: I forgot to say: Please don't just story alert this. It won't do any harm to leave a little review! I just got a whole bunch, but no review at all. It's demoralizing, like: "Your story is fun, but not worth any effort!" damnit...that's no fun at all!_


	5. Your Head is Mine

_Well, here's the new chapter...it's taking so long to write all of this! No use complaining!  
Guys, you think you could review too instead of only alerting and favoriting?_

_I don't own Naruto or any of the characters,_

* * *

Chapter 5: Your head is mine

Sakura stomped through the village, angrily. Most people went wisely out of her way, so there wasn't anyone for her to vent her anger on.

Well almost no-one.

"Forehead, why do you look like someone stole your toy?" Ino asked, intercepting her. Sakura glared at her and Ino immediately knew what was wrong. "It's about Sasuke, right?" she asked, much softer.

When Sakura's glare didn't subside, Ino sighed, "Well, aren't you going to talk, keeping it in won't help anyone," she said.

Sakura grumbled some incoherent words Ino thought were better left unheard. Then the pinkette raised her arms to the heavens, "He goes free! Can you imagine that?" she yelled and the other occupants of the street threw her strange looks.

Not unreasonable, Ino thought, after all, Sasuke's case is supposed to be classified. But outwardly she sighed, at her grumbling friend. "Wasn't that supposed to happen then? Did you want him to be sentenced to death?" she asked.

Sakura threw her an exasperated look, "Well no, I mean, yes...uhm..I don't know alright. I could've cared less what would happen to that traitor," she yelled again.

Ino noted that her beloved Shikamaru had no right to complain about being loud, it was a wonder if Sakura hadn't been heard in Suna yet. But then again, the young woman rarely let out her emotions or frustrations nowadays anymore so Ino bore with it.

"So what's the big deal. Yeah, he goes free, and we all know you would've liked him seeing punished in some way but you don't have to cross paths. You and he can live both an happy life without having to see eachother," Ino stated.

Sakura rubbed her sleep, "That's the biggest problem of all. I've been assigned to be his babysitter until he proves himself no longer a threat. I'll have to be with him every-time he goes outside that house of his," she proved the blond female wrong.

Ino shut her mouth, she couldn't possibly imagine how Sakura was feeling right now. Well, she could symphatize but that was about it. "Did you talk to the fifth?" she asked instead.

Sakura growled like a ferocious lioness, and for a second Ino thought, that even Sasuke would have his hairs on his neck standing up hearing that. "Of course I did, what did you think? But she told me, 'it's a mission,'" she said as she made quotation marks with her fingers. "The old hag said she didn't trust anyone else."

Ino winced, if Sakura was angry enough to call her respected mentor an old hag, you had to look out. Sakura muttered some other things under her breath, as to make sure there wouldn't be any kids scarred for life.

"So what are you going to do now?" she asked.

Sakura stopped, "I thought of making his life miserable..." she said but Ino interrupted.

"Why?" she asked.

Sakura shrugged, "Because I can and it is fun seeing him squirm," she said. Ino shook her head silently at this. "But for now, I decided not to be any bother for him. The sooner he is deemed safe, the sooner I can get on with my life," she said. Somehow Sakura seemed to have calmed down now, "Therefore, I will be going to him right now to settle the things and make some rules clear," she said.

Ino raised her brow as Sakura stormed off, silently pitying the raven-haired young man. Hell scorned wrath upon those who dared to defy Sakura nowadays. Then she calmly made the walk to her family's flower-shop. After all the shinobi-duties that she had, it was a relief to be there.

Sasuke opened the door to the compound of the Uchiha-clan. The door creaked slightly but made no sign of breaking. He realised that there had been indeed taken care of the place before it would fall apart.

Even so, there was that small pain of nostalgia. He could never forget about the times this door had been open to everyone who would pass, not that anybody would because they were the Uchiha after all, but that wasn't the point.

Now it was up to him to open those doors, as, he realized this painfully, he was now the clan's head. Or rather, he grimaced, its only member.

He eyed the now empty streets of this now empty village in a village calmly. Then he decided to go to his elders' house. It was the same on the outside, and even the flowers were still blooming. 'Or rather,' he thought, 'they were blooming again,' As much as he wanted to deny his time in the torture chamber, he couldn't deny the fact Sakura had told him that Naruto and she had made sure this placewas only a deserted place, and not a ruïn.

He slowly opened teh sliding door to the house, his house, he corrected himself. Silently he found himself surprised that he just saw an empty room. The furniture was covered with white sheets but he didn't see any signs of the murder from so many years ago.

The annihilation that had wiped out his clan, ordered by those foolish elders. But he still realized how many hours it must have taken to clean this place. To remove all the bloodstains, and to make this place somehow habitual again.

It had been too long.

He walked up the stairs to his own room, the room that had been his. It was dusty but it wasn't dirty and even when he looked at the clothes in the drawer he noticed they were clean. Of course they hadn't been worn for ages, but they had been washed recently. The smell wasn't as bad as it should have been.

When he went to his brother's, no, he corrected himself, Itachi's room, he noticed the same. He wasn't able to name Itachi his brother any longer. He wouldn't call the man his brother. A flash of the smile that the elder Uchiha sibling had showed, flashed before his eyes, and Sasuke shook his head.

Grudgingly he had to admit that Kakashi had been right all along. Revenge, killing Itachi, had left him desolated, and empty. Killing Danzo had been in anger. Madara had been cool-blooded murder. Now he thought about it, that was the thing he hated most about the person he had become. That he was now capable of murder. He had killed Madara to try to blemish all the anguish he felt.

But only upon returning here, he felt it wasn't Madara who'd caused that, it came from himself.

He looked at the stuff Itachi had left when he left, mostly weapons but also scrolls. Maybe he would be able to look upon Itachi's memory without feeling empty. Maybe someday.

A strange chakra signature brought him out of his pondering. Maybe it wasn't exactly strange, but it wasn't one he'd actually welcome much. This place contained nothing familiar to him anymore.

He quickly flitted to the porch, somehow not wanting to be found in Itachi's room.

Ï figured I would find you here," the voice he had come to both hate as to find intriguing said.

"Hn," he admitted her presence.

The pink-haired kunoichi stepped forward, eyeing him with an icy look. "Well, look at that, the bastard is back to monosybalistic words," she mocked.

Sasuke frowned, "What do you want?" he asked her. Hadn't she bothered him enough?

Sakura sneered at him. Sneered? Yeah, it surprised Sasuke too, it was coming more and more clear that she definitely didn't like him anymore. "It's not like I want to be here. I'm here to make sure this situation is perfectly clear to you," she said.

Sasuke raised a brow: what was there that was supposed he didn't get?

"First, I'm going to lock your chakra away. I won't have you roaming around the village with only the promise that you won't use chakra," she stated. At that point she grabbed his wrist and clanked a metal bracelet to it.

Sasuke stared at it, annoyed. It looked too much like a handcuff to be pleasant.

"Don't even think about getting it off," Sakura said, "Only I can take it off."

Well, wasn't that jolly? Sasuke felt himself grow angrier every moment. Why did she get all the control in the world over him? She had his chakra oath, his chakra levels and even his freedom in her hands that never were able to be of any use. All in the hands of that foolish weak Sakura: he wouldn't recognize her as strong.

In a moment, he had them twisted around, and had pushed Sakura against the wall of his house. "And what are you going to do with all that power over me, Sakura?" he hissed harshly.

He had expected her to blush at the proximity of his hands pushing hers to the wall; he had expected her to stutter, trying to answer. He had if not anything expected her to cry at his harsh words. But he hadn't expected her to look straight at him with cold orbs of green.

"I am going to do absolutely nothing with that power, if only to annoy you. I am going to wait until you have gone completely mad. And it will happen, after all, an Uchiha can't live without its power," she spoke, deadpanning him. Then she kicked him up, slamming him down and crushing him to the sandy ground and kneeled him down. He now knew that not only her arms were with inhuman strength.

"So what, Uchiha, feeling remorseful?" she mocked.

Sasuke glared at her. How was she able to treat him like this, even if it only was Tai-jutsu. No, he refused to admit he had been beaten by her.

He had only been distracted.

"Listen well, Uchiha, if something you do, does not please me, I'll have your head," Sakura growled, and leaned closer in on him, something she was very able to in her current position, knees on either side of him. "And trust me when I say, I'll make sure that nobody will be able to trace you or who has done it," she said.

Sasuke shivered, and he was fairly certain that it wasn't because of her words, such things had been hurled at him before. It was mostly because of her breath that stroke beside his neck. Sasuke was quick to deny this though.

"Am I interupting something?" an amused voice asked. Naruto was chrouching on the top of his roof, grinning. "I'm sure I can come back later, if you want me to," he said.

"No, we're done," Sakura said icily as she crawled off the seething man.

"Are you sure though, there are many ways that position could be explained," Naruto teased.

Sakura glared hard at him, "I suggest you shut up, if you want to keep that tongue in your mouth," she said.

Naruto got the message and slammed his mouth shut: Do not bring up a conversation concerning her and the Uchiha. She does not find it amusing.

He scraped his throath, "Uhm, right. Anyway, granny asked for the two of you, I just came to pass that through," he said.

Sakura nodded and jumped up, making way to the Hokage tower. Naruto grinned at Sasuke, "What happened, Teme? Got the hots for her?"

Sasuke didn't even feel the need to dignify himself as he slammed Naruto on the back of his head. As he was fairly certain he didn't hurt the thickheaded ninja, he was allowed to do that.

"Ow, Teme! That hurt!" Naruto whined.

Sasuke didn't respond, but felt to urge to go with the pink-haired kunoichi's threat. If only he could catch up with her. He picked up his pace. After all, he didn't forget Tsunade's threat.

"No, seriously, what happened? If it wasn't me, or you two in fact, somebody else would have thought it the most compromising position to be found in," Naruto inquiered, running besides his old friend.

Sasuke kept his eyes in front of him, "she just made it so, that her rules were very clear to me," he responded, grimacing slightly. An Uchiha shouldn't be ordered around.

Naruto figured he wasn't going to get anything out of the brooding male, so he kept quiet about it, and kept his continuing thoughts to himself. He might get to gloat about it somewhere in the future.

As they landed in front of the tower, Naruto bid his goodbyes as he claimed he wasn't invited to come, and Sasuke entered the building on his own. He didn't waste any time wandering through the building, and went straight to the Hokage's room.

There, Sakura was waiting for him, "I thought, I'd wait for you," she said. It wasn't meant to be nice, it was a statement. "After all, we were summoned together," she said and took the lead in entering the room.

The blond-haired Hokage was waiting behind the table with a slightly annoyed expression. "So you thought to come after all?" she asked sarcastically. Sasuke suspected the annoyance was mostly pointed at him. But Sakura never responded at the remark, choosing to answer differently.

"You asked for us," she said stiffly.

The Hokage sat back, "I did yeah, regretfully. I have a mission for you," she said.

Sasuke noticed Sakura raising a brow, "While I'm still in the preminilary phase regarding the mission of guarding this Uchiha?" she asked, and for the first time in his life, Sasuke felt as if he was considered not there at all.

Tsunade rubbed her sleep, "I wasn't sending you away if it weren't for the fact you are the only one available, being capable of this mision," she said.

Sasuke watched the exchange of looks between student and teacher, one mildly amused and the other slightly ticked off. It seemed Sakura was taking joy in her teacher's demise. "So it's another kunoichi mission, I take it?" Sakura asked.

Tsunade nodded, and Sakura smirked, "And Ino isn't available?" she asked.

Tsunade shook her head, "No, Nara Ino is currently occupied with Intelligence services on the rogue ninja we found the other day in the nearby forest. Besides, " she smirked, "Her husband has...requested not to send her on that kind of missions anymore. He claims it isn't good for his mental well-being and well, we need him too much to risk it," Tsunade said.

Sakura let out a short laugh, "In other words, he wants to keep her to himself," she said.

Tsunade smirked, "Can you blame him," she said and Sakura shook her head.

Sasuke had a few questions upon this exchange, but decided to ask Naruto about it later. Surely, neither the Hokage or Sakura would be willing to explain this to him.

Sakura had apparently understood it perfectly, "What are the details of this mission?" she asked.

Tsunade smiled content, "You're going to the land of water, to that small village we were sent to a year ago," Sasuke wasn't all the wiser, but apparently the two women knew exactly what they were talking about. "It's suspected that a small organisation of rogues is taking hold there, while making plans on attacking Konoha. They're apparently comrades of the captured nin currently in interrogation," Sasuke winced. Even when Sakura wasn't performing, interrogation for information was never fun, and no Shinobi would ever be willing to tell his friends off without a very good persuasion.

"In any case, they're not to be informed of our knowledge and we need to know more about them," she said.

Sasuke processed the mission data, how the hell were they supposed to do that? But Sakura apparently knew enough.

"So, I'm supposed to find out if there'll be an attack or not?" she asked.

"Yes, If that's the case, then you are to inform the ANBU, and to get away. Your identity must not be discovered under all circumstances," she said.

Sakura nodded and accepted the file with the data and Sasuke couldn't help but feeling left out again. And an Uchiha isn't left out.

"What's my part in this?" he asked.

Tsunade smirked smugly, "You have none. Usually I would sent Sakura with someone to cover her back, but she hasn't needed that before long. We just can't leave you here alone, that's all." She said.

Sasuke figured that he wasn't going to get any information and slightly ticked off, he looked away.

Tsunade nodded, "Okay, the mission's start is tomorrow, you are to depart this evening. Dismissed!" she said and both Sasuke and Sakura left.

"Listen up, I have some business to take care of," Sakura said as she turned to him, "So you are to wait with Naruto at Ichiraku's. He has asked for you to eat with him," Sakura announced with deadly politeness, she had taken a like of. After this, she poofed away.

Sasuke made his way to Naruto's favourite place with reluctance. The curious and slightly frightened looks were hard to be missed but Sasuke chose to ignore it.

"Teme!" the annoyingly loud voice of Naruto came as Sasuke turned the corner. Sasuke grunted to show the other man that he had noticed him. They seated to the bar and Naruto made his choices known to the old man, and turned to Sasuke. "So, what's the mission about?" he asked.

Sasuke contemplated saying the mission was confidential but decided against it. It was after all, a fair question. "It's a kunoichi mission," he grumbled.

Naruto's eyes widened, and he fell into a fit of laughter. Sasuke looked at him with growing annoyance, "What's so funny?" he asked.

Naruto gave a last few chuckles, "Sorry, but a kunoichi mission? _Seduction?_ With _Sakura?_?" he asked.

Sasuke still didn't get the point the fox-boy was making and kept glaring.

Naruto shrugged, "Someone takes an absolutely delight in making you see all sides of this new Sakura in as little time as possible, especially the bad sides. At least we got to grow into it," he said.

Sasuke shook his head, "Hn," he said, waiting for Naruto's explanation.

The fox-boy sighed, "Listen up, Sakura isn't only the most fearful interrogator we have, but she's also in the top seductresses we have. Don't look so disbelieving," he said, catching the Uchiha's look. "It's true. I mean come on, she even could get a reaction out of you, an ice-block, without anything to work with, even if it was a bad one. You can imagine the effect she can have on other men, definitely now she has grown into her body..." he stopped and grinned wolfishly, "But that's for you to find out."

Sasuke frowned, he never liked being played with."What do you mean, dobe?"" he snapped.

Naruto sniggered, "Why no normal hotblooded guy can go with her on these missions, the fact why she always goes alone," he said.

Sasuke felt like smashing his head on the counter.

The order was placed before them and Naruto started eating with a loud "ITADAKIMASU!". Sasuke himself looked at the bowl feeling slightly messed up: was it necessary to check for poison? It would be a first in so many years.

Naruto glanced at him, "It's safe, nobody is ready to face me only to poison you," he said, sensing Sasuke's hesitation. Sasuke nodded and started eating.

"Dobe, what is it with the Nara not wanting the Yamanaka girl on seduction missions?" Sasuke asked, it had been nagging his mind the whole time.

Naruto splurted his beloved ramen, "Shikamaru and Ino? You mean you don't know?" he asked, coughing.

Sasuke sent a pointed glare his way. "In case it went unnoticed, I haven't been here for some time," he remarked sharply.

He swore he could see Naruto's eyes darken, "Oh, we noticed alright," he murmured. Then he grinned sheepishly, "Yeah sorry. Yamanaka isn't quite a Yamanaka anymore; she married Shikamaru," he said.

Sasuke raised a brow, "At eighteen?" he asked, ignoring that they too were already nineteen.

Naruto shrugged, "Apparently, they have been keeping up a relationship a pretty long time, and their families didn't exactly complain. Shikamaru did say the questioning was troublesome but claimed that because we die young, we should live young too." He smirked at his old friend, "Maybe you should talk to him once," he said, gobbling down his ramen.

Sasuke frowned, mentally making a note that he, probably, should go speak with the Nara. Not in the least because he had no clue about married life. And he wanted to rebuild his clan. He didn't know when, and with whom but he wanted to make sure the Uchiha lived on.

Meanwhile Naruto had been trying to get his attention, "Teme!" he shouted and Sasuke glared at him, pulled back from his thoughts. Naruto leaned on his hand, "Don't give me that," he said but he sounded quite amused.

Sasuke bit back his annoyance, "What?"

Naruto chuckled, "Sakura's waiting for you," he replied smugly.

And indeed, as Sasuke pulled back the covers of the stand, he saw Sakura standing, emotionless.

"Have a fun time, teme!" Naruto laughed as Sasuke quietly followed Sakura. She seemed to be heading to the Uchiha compound and Sasuke realized that he too had to get a few things for a mission. It was obvious he hadn't done one in a long time if he had forgotten the basics.

"We will be gone for a few days at most," Sakura said as she took hold before the entrance of the compound.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, but he didn't comment on the fact she wouldn't go inside with him, nor did he comment on the fact that she didn't tell him what to bring on this kind of a mission.

The enigma named Sakura expanded some more.

But he went inside to get the things he would need. That wasn't much. Only an extra set of citizen clothes, it was an undercover mission to some extent. Then he grabbed Kasunagi and left the building complex completely meeting up again with Sakura.

She opened one eye at him, as she had been standing with her eyes closed. Meditation perhaps. Sasuke would never find out.

Her eyebrows lifted when she spotted the katana. "Do you expect to fight?" she asked. There was mockery in her voice, and yet Sasuke made no effort to point out that he was completely helpless with the drained chakra. She probably knew and she didn't care.

This thought made Sasuke frown: she wanted him to die that badly?

But Sakura turned on the heel of her feet and started a demanding pace to the land of water once they passed the walls of Konoha. It was not that she was running but it wasn't a brisk walk either. Sasuke followed her, being trained enough in taijutsu to not rely on chakra.

That didn't take away the fact that it was an agonizing pace. He had to admit though, that even if it was strange, he didn't mind watching Sakura's back as much as he thought.

* * *

_Done with this chapter!_


	6. Knocked out of Breath

_Next up!_

_High school should be done and over with! I'll be getting to that in the next chapter...I wanna graduate already!_

_I do not own Naruto, or it characters!_

* * *

Chapter 6: Knocked out of breath

Sasuke tired sooner than he thought.

It was draining to keep the speed up and to keep his body working without the use of chakra. Once more a reminder of how much he had relied on chakra.

But Sakura didn't care. Their brakes were enough to catch their breath, but too short to be able to rest. Sasuke decided to not give Sakura the pleasure of seeing him dead beat and followed her at a short distance.

It was night, when Sakura thought of setting up camp. Or at least, taking a real rest. Sasuke was careful not to show his surprise that Sakura only made a fire and laid down her body to sleep. She didn't eat, or set up a tent.

It was so simple: him, Sakura and the fire.

He stood up as silently as he could, which was without a sound. It was the only chance he would get.

And suddenly, he felt strangled.

He fell down on one knee, and immediately his leg was constricted. Looking down, while breathing raggedly, he saw the ground itself holding him down. Much like the snakes he was so familiar with, the ground whirled around his leg, and he couldn't get away. Glancing over at Sakura, he noticed her peeking one eye open at him, a hand flat on the ground.

He suddenly realized she was using the chakra-oath he had tied himself to and that it was the exact reason why he was feeling strangled. And she was also using earth-based chakra to hold him down. He didn't even know that she could use it.

"You were thinking of escaping.' She was stating it, not asking.

Sasuke was pissed, to put it gently. "Ah," he replied teeth clenched together. He had no reason to lie to her, but he was very much frustrated.

Sakura closed her eyes, moved her hand in a way that somehow loosened the ground around Sasuke's leg, and then turned over.

Testing, Sasuke found that he could move but not run away.

"I'm not failing my mission, Uchiha. So you can forget about that, because guarding you is also my mission," she said, cold as ice.

Sasuke laid down himself, as best as he could, "I thought you wanted me gone," he remarked.

Sakura chuckled humorlessly, "More than anything, but it stays a mission and I don't fail missions. Besides, I don't want Naruto upset," she said.

Sasuke raised a brow, even if she couldn't see it, "That's all?"

He could hear her chuckle, "That's all," she confirmed.

This unsettled Sasuke more than it should have, before sleep consumed him.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

The following day, they continued traveling and again Sakura went at a demanding pace. This time she was jumping trees to be faster, but Sasuke found now that he was used to the speed, it didn't take as much effort as the day before, and it was almost relaxing.

Before long they stopped only two miles from the gate of the designated village. "Hide your shinobi gear, this mission is undercover," Sakura ordered.

Sasuke obeyed, he hadn't forgotten the oath. It was probably the most sensible thing to do, as she was also captain. So he hid his prized katana and his arm and leg-protectors.

After that they entered the village. They were eyed suspiciously but not bothered otherwise. It was a typical border-village, with a lot of different types of building and almost empty streets.

"I do not suggest pulling attention. People here don't trust strangers, and especially shinobi," Sakura said softly, keeping her eyes in front of her.

"Why?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura grimaced, "A year ago, this village was terrorized by a gang, getting young kids to do their dirty jobs and bullying people of their money. A small squad of konoha-shinobi got rid of them but the people are still suspicious," she explained shortly.

Sasuke raised a brow, "And that explains why we are looking here for rogue shinobi?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura shrugged, "I don't care about the details," She said. Just when he thought he had found a shimmer of the old Sakura, she proved him wrong again. She used to explain a lot, she'd cared about details.

They checked in a small bath-house that rented out rooms. The female behind the counter, a young frail blond, had shot Sakura a jealous look, obviously at sight smitten with Sasuke, but Sakura had laughed, "You want him?" she had asked, incredulously.

The woman had blushed red, "Fine by me, he's my half-brother," she said. That was the story that they had to maintain, more because with a boyfriend or husband, fake or not, Sakura's mission would get harder. And while it was convenient that Sakura could confirm that story now, Sasuke was not exactly used to being put off like that.

"Come on," Sakura said, when the female wasn't quite able to produce any sensible sentences. Sasuke followed her as she went up to the room. They hadn't exactly rented it for sleep but for a place to organise. The room was somewhat clean, one double bed, and the one window barely lit the room with the orange skies.

Sakura sat down on the bed, and Sasuke sat willingly down on the ground.

"Well then," she said, "Let's put this in action then. Because you're here, you can keep our packs with you for when we had to leave," she continued in that very same indifferent voice. Every time she talked to him it was either indifference or coldness.

"How do you want to make this mission a success?" Sasuke asked. Surely, he understood the basics of these so-called reconnaissance missions, but he just didn't like being thrown in the deep.

Sakura sighed, annoyed, "Like I do it every time," she said. 'Every time?' Sasuke repeated in his head but Sakura continued, "I go in, seduce two or three, get them drunk, and they'll tell me everything I want to know. The male mind works so simply," she shot in.

Ignoring the jab, Sasuke pondered over the plan. It seemed so simple, but to him, he felt it had such a high risk failure to it. "Where do I come in?"

Sakura smirked, "There isn't a real need for you at all, but I need to keep an eye on you," she said.

Sasuke frowned, ticked off now, she kept jabbing at him, "I'm not staying in this room," he replied.

Sakura crossed her arms, "I didn't think you would. So instead, you'll keep our stuff with you at the bar an you'll make sure of a quick retreat when I'm done. Nothing more, nothing less," she said.

Sasuke resisted the urge to groan: he was nothing more than a carrier-boy.

Sakura stood up, "It won't be long now, the sun is already setting," she said. "I'll be preparing now. We'll leave when it's dark. Don't make the mistake trying to leave."

Sasuke watched Sakura march into the bathroom and rubbed his head in annoyance. He didn't believe Sakura would be able to pull this off.

Her seducing one man? Alright, if the man had no brain, it was possible. But two or three men while they were still cautious and in their right mind? That was just not possible.

And yet she had said it so casually. As if there wouldn't be any problems. He could name a dozen things that could go wrong with mission, not in the first place the chance of being discovered. Then of course of the subject not buying it.

What was it that made Tsunade and Naruto have so much faith in the weak kunoichi he was with at the moment? Sure, she could pack a mean punch if she wanted and she was a decent doctor. But didn't usually pretty women do kunoichi missions? Sakura seemed a little...plain for these missions. Except for her pink hair, that either could be seen as freakish or exotic. He wasn't sure which way it would swing.

Not that Karin had been that pretty, to make a comparison. The only reason he had tolerated her, was because she had been useful. She was a good tracker and her unusual healing ability had come in handy too.

He detested being here, he hated doing missions for his old village, and most definitely, he despised being restrained like this.

The bathroom door opened and he heard it close again. Seeing he was turned to the window, he went out from what he heard. The small tics he heard resound from the ground signaled that Sakura was wearing heels. He really didn't want to turn away from the window, only to see a sad attempt at being pretty, or seductive. Whatever.

"Uchiha, it's time to go. Make sure you stay away from me," Sakura said from the back.

Sasuke groaned as he stood up to follow the female out of the building, packs slung over his shoulder. The last thing he saw before she turned around the door to the hallway was a long cream-coloured leg with an extremely high heel at the end.

Sasuke didn't dare to lose track of her, so he followed her, careful pulling the door behind him.

In the hallway he halted in his tracks.

It made suddenly a lot more sense why Sakura was chosen for this mission.

When was it that she had gotten legs that were formed so promising and seemed to go on forever?

When exactly did she fill out her hips, instead of the wooden stake she had been?

When had she gotten a cleavage enough to drive any hot-blooded male insane?

When did the little old Sakura change in this...he dared to at least think it, steaming hot woman?

But when he met her eyes again he was quickly shaken out of his reverie, that cold were the green stones that were her eyes.

"It's rude to stare," Sakura commented.

Now he was completely back on earth, and he pushed out any thoughts that he would do if she were any other woman. He had only raked his eyes over her for a second, for making himself familiar, he told himself.

As she turned however, Sasuke found that in the short red dress, she wore, with that even more dangerous high split at the side and the deep back, her ass looked a little too good.

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Sakura could feel it.

She could feel the heat of his smoldering eyes burning a hole in her back,

It ticked her off so badly.

She wanted to turn around, and hit him so badly while telling him that it's a little too late and that he wasn't allowed to look at her like that. She was no little Sakura anymore, with a silly innocent crush on him.

She was a full-grown kunoichi who could, and would use the assets she had been given.

And Kami had been generous enough.

So he had to turn that look away now.

She wasn't for him to grab, and most certainly not that it was no love he's feel. She almost snorted, the Uchiha has been unable to love for a very long time. He'd never feel anything at all.

This was primal lust at the most.

A reaction from one body to another. It was nothing that she wasn't familiar with. Only from the Uchiha, that was new.

He followed her, and didn't say anything, but she still could feel the gaze as the walked through the now completely abandoned streets in the dark.

They arrived at the bar, and Sakura felt herself calm, and get that business like state over her. She knew now for sure: this mission would succeed.

With or without Uchiha Sasuke.

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Sasuke noticed the change in her demeanor. Sakura's face relaxed slightly and she adopted a mysterious yet seductive smile on her face.

'So this it,' Sasuke though absentmindly. 'She is able to sever all emotional ties with the mission.'

He was somehow proud of her. A sick and twisted way of proud.

"Remember what I told you," Sakura murmured and entered the club without hesitation.

As Sasuke entered, he immediately noticed it was one of those hot, sweaty clubs, with people rubbing on to eachother. He had never liked those. Too many people, too much noise, too many half-drunk girls throwing themselves at him, sometimes able to steal a touch out of him if his senses had been dulled enough. How anyone could like these places, was a mystery to him.

But Sakura moved at ease through the crowd and went to the bar. She ordered a light beverage and whispered harshly to him, "Stay around the bar. Somewhere around the night we'll leave quickly," she said.

In the split second it took him to process her words, she had disappeared in the crowd. Only the bright pink of her hair made it possible to follow her movement. Sasuke turned to the bar and it was only after a short while he realized there was a girl trying to get his attention. He groaned and turned to the bartender.

It would take a lot to dull his senses enough to get through this night.

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Sakura moved with her targets in sight. It wasn't hard, they were the loudest, dirtiest guys around the place but for the small village they had bucks so girls were all too willingly to them.

Upon this notion, Sakura knew it wouldn't be hard: guys already distracted by females were only easier to manage than usual.

So she moved with the monotoneous upbeat, catching the eye of the biggest of the group, her focus-point, and then turned away again. It was a never ending game of push and pull. Before long Sakura knew her target had caught the bait, when she felt a burly breath in her neck.

She suppressed the urge to scrunge her nose in disgust and continued to dance against the guy. She might be appalled by it but in this kind of situations it was the perfect scenario. That was the main-reason Kakashi never went with her, he always went in protective father mode at these moment.

"Beauty, ya'want to hang out wit m'friends?" the man asked.

'Gotcha,' Sakura thought, but giggled outwardly. She let herself be dragged to the serie of sofa's and lounges where his mates were enjoying themselves.

"Ah, th'girl's a catch. Why don't'ya offer her a drink!"his friends called. The music was too loud to pinpoint the exact guy. When an alcoholic drink was pushed in her hands in response, she expertly gulped it down.

"The lady can drink!" they laughed. Sakura grinned shyly: the act continued. They continued giving her drinks.

'Let the games begin,'

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Sasuke had long since stopped drinking.

The moment he felt his focus weaken a little he had decided to put a halt to the alcohol.

He continued however, looking at Sakura, with growing agitation and suprise. He saw her throwing down drink after drink and he tried to pinpoint the exact moment she would collapse.

She didn't but it was apparent her mind had been dulled enough not to react sensible anymore. She shouldn't let herself be touched that way, even Sasuke knew that. He was wondering which moment they were going too far and that he needed to step in.

But as far as he could see, they were not there yet. She was laughing and playing with them like only drunk women could.

Before long the music had changed into something more sensual and Sasuke noticed the people had changed their supposed dancing into something more...erotic. He did not know a lot about foreplay but he could see exactly which couples would probably end up with a one-night stand this night.

He groaned, he definitely wasn't drunk enough for this.

And he was stuck watching Sakura dance the exact same way. It was a dull realization as he saw Sakura had learned to make use of her body and the moment. She twirled and danced around one guy and then moving to the other rubbing herself up to them while her mouth was at their ears.

Sasuke could only imagine what she was saying and it became a little too hot for him. He turned away as one guy stuck his hand up that dangerously short dress.

A guy can only take so much, even someone like him.

He wondered how drunk exactly she was to allow that. She played her part of seductress perfectly, Sasuke admitted that now reluctantly but convinced. A staying question for him was how much of what she was doing now, was an act, as he had seen her keel back quite a lot.

And at the exact same moment he wondered if he should start drinking again, only to drown this memory he felt a body push against his. Alarmed he looked up, and was lost for words when he recognized Sakura, clearly inebriated.

"Time to go," she murmured.

Sasuke held her up when she threatened to fall down while grabbing the packs at his feet. He then went for the door, and opened it with relief to feel the fresh air fill his lungs.

Then suddenly as the door slammed shut behind them, the weight on his arm was gone and Sakura was straightening her dress and then looked at him. Sasuke made it in time to stop his mouth from dropping.

Her eyes were completely clear and on guard, unlike before when she had seemed dazed by beverage. "Mission succes," she said without slur.

Sasuke pinched his eyes, "Are you ok?" he asked, not because he cared for her but she wouldn't be able to travel intoxicated.

Sakura stared at him, "You thought I was drunk?" she asked, incredulously.

Sasuke looked away, "I did," he confirmed. He had been completely sure she had been drunk.

Sakura let out a laugh, "For your information, Uchiha, I was braking down the alcohol in my blood with medical jutsu. I am not going to get drunk until I run out of chakra," she said coldly. Then she turned on her heel, like she did before, "Let's get going," she said, "It's still a long way to Konoha."

Sasuke frowned but he had to admit taht she at least had deserved this authority. He hadn't thought of medical jutsu to cancel out the effect of alcohol, and he wondered lightly if it had a drawback.

-()-

After an hour he found the answer this question.

Sakura had been going at a back-breaking speed, stopping only once to change clothes. If Sasuke was really honest, it had been a relief on his control. He feared he would never look at her he same. It didn't happen often that he'd find a woman with a body like hers and was not throwing herself at him.

Definitely, the image was etched in his memory.

But now, Sakura wobbled and missed a tree-branch.

Sasuke watched her from a distance, and saw her fall. Too late for him to react, she collided with the ground, painfully, but Sasuke saw, landing beside her, that she had been unconscious since earlier.

He rubbed his head and then decided to make camp.

It took him a few attempts to light the fire, but when he did he welcomed the warmth. Since long before, he had used a small katon to light fires, so to do so now with only the wood around him, made it a whole lot harder.

Even so, it promised to be a cold night, and he guessed that Sakura wouldn´t be happy with hypothermia. He sat himself down, when he had made sure that the kunoichi was safe.

It was quiet around them, and Sasuke felt the ever-there tension leave his body. He felt at peace, since a very long time. There was no pressure anymore. There was no brother to take revenche on. Sasuke never saw himself as a poetic person, but he was glad it was him, the trees, the stars and the fire.

And Sakura.

He couldn't leave if he wanted to, when she was vulnerable like this.

Sasuke didn't understand her change of heart or why, but now that she had her eyes closed, it was much easier to think of her as the grown-up version of the Sakura who had liked him.

He had lost his home, and then he left the pieces. Now he was dragged back to find that the pieces had been cleaned up nicely.

Another glance at Sakura told him, that he would need to build a new home, and that he had to learn to trust all over again. And this new Sakura was the prime example of trust: it had to be earned.

He sighen and leaned against a tree. Funny, really, that he didn't feel the urge to leave that badly anymore. A groan broke the silence and Sasuke glanced over at Sakura.

She peeked open an eye, while holding her head, "What happened?" Sasuke asked, seeing this.

Sakura's jade obs looked at him, "Would you look at that, the Uchiha hasn't left," she spoke sarcastically.

Sasuke deadpanned her, "I left when you were supposedly unconscious once before. Experience tells me, you don't like it. What happened?" he asked more forceful.

Sakura sniggered softly, "It talks too, lucky me," she muttered. Then she stared at te fire for a moment, "I drank too much too quickly, if you must know. I don't have as much chakra as Naruto or even you, even though I have a significantly better control. I guess my system was overloaded," she explained.

Sasuke refrained from mentioning that the high speeds could have had to do with it as well. "Hn," he replied instead.

"When I see tomorrow morning that you have left, I'll break parts of your body in a way, that you'll never get to rebuilding your clan," Sakura said offhandly as she closed her eyes once again and laid back down on the forestground.

Sasuke felt a smirk unwillingly take over his features as he too closed his eyes. She took his resolve to leave and shattered it.

When and how, remained a mystery to him

* * *

_Done done done! Please leave a review!_


	7. Not So Bad At All

_Let's get this story running!_

_I don't own Naruto or any of the characters._

* * *

Chapter 7: Not So Bad After All

When Sasuke woke up, the first light just peeked through the trees. Even so, Sakura had risen earlier than he had.

"You don't have to look so surprised, Uchiha. I make early shifts at the hospital," Sakura snapped, as soon as she caught sight of his raised brows. Sasuke took in his surroundings more carefully, and noticed that Sakura had already hidden the traces of the fire.

"Listen up," Sakura said as she sat down in front of him. Sasuke nodded. "I'm going to release the chakra seal on your wrist a little," she said.

"That means?" Sasuke replied. Surely there had to be a catch.

"It means that you'll have a little bit of chakra to your possession. You can forget about using techniques like Sharingan, or Chidori, but you should be able to mold just a little, move just a little bit quicker. Also, your presence won't resemble a squirrel so much anymore, which, frankly is starting to piss me off," Sakura explained.

Sasuke felt his pride bashed a little at the implication that his speed hadn't been Sakura's highest. (Of course the squirrel comment didn't help that idea too). "You trust me enough?" he asked.

Sakura shook her head, "No, not at all. But the sooner we are in the village the sooner we can part ways," she said.

Sasuke nodded, and put his wrist out with the bad around it. Sakura concentrated for a second, and immediately, Sasuke felt his body easier to move. Then Sakura stood up, and craned her neck. "We're going to Konoha," she said and took off.

Sasuke was glad that he had the extra chakra now. It had always been him and Naruto who had been fast in team 7, never Sakura. (She had been more flexible though, and Sasuke found himself wondering if she still was that flexible). Yet here she was, staying in front of him with apparent ease. She decided the speed, and even though Sasuke wasn't the one to be dominated he found himself with no choice.

He just couldn't get in front of her.

Before long they had arrived at the gates of Konohagakure. The guard greeted Sakura asking if the mission went well. She laughed and asked them if it had gone differently any other time. They laughed in return and let them through, eying Sasuke suspicious.

"Do you know every shinobi in the village?" Sasuke asked slightly sarcastic, but Sakura took it in stride/

"Being a doctor in the shinobi hospital does that," she replied.

Sasuke shut up. He didn't know how to reply this woman. Even so, he couldn't say he really missed the old Sakura, only the fact that out of them two, he had been the block of ice instead of Sakura.

A loud bang was suddenly heard and Sasuke looked up alarmed (after all, this village had the habit of being under attack), but Sakura didn't even look fazed, except for a mumble of a small curse. She continued calmly to the Hokage's tower though.

"What was that?" Sasuke asked. Usually, the village would have been in a state of uproar. But there didn't change a thing.

Sakura looked up at him, "That bang?" she asked.

"Hn," Sasuke replied, not wanting to admit to not knowing something.

Sakura smirked, "It's just the Hyuuga compound again," she said nonchalantly.

Sasuke blinked, "The Hyuuga?" he asked now curious. The Hyuuga had always been more of a stoic clan than the Uchiha had been, and far more secluded.

"I'm guessing that Hyuuga Neji has exploded again. We'd better give a brief report and then get to the hospital. I'm expecting at least four or five wounded main-family members," she said.

Sasuke followed her, "How come Hyuuga Neji, and the wounded main-family?" he asked. The boy had always been more of an emotionless person than he was.

Sakura shrugged, "He's fighting fate," she answered. Sasuke figured that he wouldn't get information out of her as she set her jaw. Apparently she had reached her limit of bearing him near her for the day.

They quickly briefed the Hokage about the mission. Or rather, Sakura talked and he stood there waiting. Tsunade nodded, "Alright then, send a patch of Jounin to clear the threat," she said as Sakura told her of the underground network. "What do you suggest," she asked Naruto who had been standing next to her.

He tapped his chin, "From what Sakura-chan said, they are mostly specialized in force and weapons, and I think you should make a team with at least a Taijutsu and a weapons expert for long distance attacks. Then to counter the offensive, genjutsu,"

Tsunade nodded, "You're getting better," she remarked. "Shizune, get Kurenai, Tenten and Lee," she ordered her secondhand. The woman wanted to protest, "But, Tsunade-sama, what about the little one..." but the blond Hokage narrowed her eyes. "Ever heard of daycare, HUH?" she spat. "Get Kurenai, Tenten, and Lee!"

Needless to say, the woman scurried away.

Then she turned to Sakura, "And what are you still doing here? That troublesome kid is going berserk again," she grumbled. Sakura nodded and turned on her heel.

"Uzumaki, take the Uchiha with you, and get the hell out of my eyes. I've had enough of you both," the Hokage muttered.

Naruto grinned and dragged Sasuke away, "She means she just wants to get pissed without spectators," Naruto said when the door closed behind him. Sasuke nodded and Naruto frowned, "You think you can get that stick out of your ass, anytime soon preferably?" he asked.

Sasuke dignified himself from answering that question.

"Well, let's go for dinner then!" Naruto said.

"Ramen again, dobe?" Sasuke asked.

The fox laughed, "What'd you expect?" he said. Sasuke shook his head, in one way or the other, Naruto would never change.

When they were outside, Naruto stopped him. "One moment. I have to let the Kyuubi out," he said.

This, Sasuke did not know what to expect. Naruto surely didn't mean to go demon inside the village? What he did do, surprised Sasuke as much.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Naruto said after his blood offer.

'Summoning?' Sasuke thought. 'A tailed beast? What the hell is he thinking?'

But what appeared out of the smoke wasn't a gigantic demon fox but something like a miniature version that reached till Sasuke's knee. The nine tails were all there but the murderous intent was dimmed. "What d'ya call me for, kid?" the fox asked.

Naruto grinned, "Stop muttering, I thought you liked it outside?" he said.

The Kyuubi glared, "If you weren't my vessel and the fact that I died with you, I would have kicked your ass," he said.

Naruto laughed,"I'm just a damn good vessel," he said.

Sasuke stared, "What have you done?" he asked incredulously. He forgot his demeanor for a second. Last time he had seen this creature, it had been locked up tightly, and was about a hundred times bigger.

Naruto pressed his hands in his pockets, "I made it possible for the Kyuubi to walk around. He's still locked up tightly within me, but this solid projection like a shadow clone is a decent solution. Of course he had to promise to be civil," he explained.

"And to let him stay in control when using my chakra," the Kyuubi grumbled. Then he did a double-take at Sasuke, "Oh, so you're the Uchiha whose butt we kicked last time!" he remarked.

It was weird for such a little creature to have a voice so low. The Kyuubi chuckled, "Nothing as satisfying as kicking an Uchiha butt," he said. And Sasuke looked back annoyed.

"Bring it," he said, and was immediately rewarded with a spike of murderous intent.

Baring its teeth, the Kyuubi said, "Anytime."

Naruto laughed, "Hold it, Kyuubi. Sasuke's on probation," he said. Sasuke was surprised at the fact that Naruto was acting sensible, and resisted to smirk at the tailed fox when said creature mumbled something about: "Damned brat."

Naruto piked up again, "Ramen, it is!" he cheered. 'No,' Sasuke thought, 'Naruto would never change.'

"Come on, Sasuke! Hinata's waiting for us!" he said and skipped up.

"The Hyuuga-heiress?' Sasuke inquired. True he had heard Sakura talk about it but he hadn't given it much thought.

Naruto grinned, "Yeah, Hinata!" he said. Sasuke frowned, he remembered the Hyuuga girl who had fainted around Naruto every time. Naruto punched his arm, "Don't look like that. Guess you didn't think I would ever get a girlfriend, huh?" he stated proudly.

Sasuke decided not to mention that the heiress had liked him since their academy-days. So he kept quiet and followed the ramen-loving ninja and his demon.

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Not too long after they arrived at the ramenstand, Hinata greeted them, "Hello, Naruto, Uchiha-san," she said as they came in sight.

She petted the Kyuubi lightly, shocking the Uchiha, who never would have thought she would just do that. "Quit it, woman!" it replied grumbling.

Naruto sniggered, "You say that every time! Hello Hinata, by the way," he said and to Sasuke's surprise he gave a peck on her cheek. Maybe he wasn't as clueless as he had thought.

Meanwhile the Kyuubi had jumped up and had made itself comfortable on Hinata's lap. He looked so much like a pet, that you'd almost forget that he was a dangerous bijuu. "See what I mean," Naruto whispered to Sasuke.

"I heard that, kid," the Kyuubi spoke up.

Naruto snickered and sat down on the chair besides Hinata, Sasuke following suitly. "Sorry, I had to bring, teme!" Naruto said, but Hinata shook her head.

"Don't worry about it, he's your friend," she said. Sasuke noted that she didn't stutter anymore.

Naruto ordered to pork-ramen and turned back to Hinata, "Everything going alright at the compound?" he asked.

Hinata slightly frowned. "This time Neji-nii-san hit seven elders straight to the hospital," she said.

Naruto gave a lopsided smile, "That is one less than last time," he said.

Hinata smiled back softly, "It's also three more than the time before that," she said. Then she caught on to Sasuke's lack of understanding. "Naruto, did you remember telling Uchiha-san about Neji-nii-san?" she asked.

Naruto sheepishly laughed, "I forgot. Ok teme," he addressed Sasuke, "Get it, we're talking about Hyuuga Neji!" he said.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "I figured that already, dobe," he said.

Hinata smiled at the two, "Perhaps I should tell him, Naruto," she said softly. Then she turned to Sasuke. "Well, Uchiha-san. You know as well as anyone from a prestige clan that the real people with power are the elders right?" she asked.

Sasuke nodded shortly. Oh yes, he knew about elders. Especially since his had been making plans to attack Konoha. Hinata smiled, "Well, in the Hyuuga-clan, the main-branch is supposed to marry within the family. Keep the bloodline pure."

Sasuke wanted to ask why the hell she was dating the dobe then, but Naruto was quicker. "Hinata-chan is technically an abandoned child within the Hyuuga-family, because they do not deem her worthy." Naruto rolled his eyes, "I can't see why. Anyway, that's why she's free to do whatever she wants."

Hinata giggled at Naruto's frowning, "But it still took a lot of time for father to get used to you," she said. Naruto smiled back as if saying that it was all worth it, and Sasuke scraped his throat: he'd like to know the story, not their mushy stuff.

Hinata turned red and Naruto grinned sheepishly, "Eh, yeah. Anyway, Hiashi, Hinata's father, suggested for Neji to be the next clan leader after him because he is damn well capable of protecting the clan." Sasuke was under the impression he damn well could, after all, he too knew that Neji had defeated one of the sound four at 14, no small feat, he'd admit.

Hinata had meanwhile recovered from her initial embarrassment. "It had been quite a shock to the elders, for a branch-member to become heir, but Neji-nii-san only has to glare at them and they cower in fear. Father is quite taken in with him actually," she said.

Sasuke suspected there was nothing left of the hate between these two cousins because of the high way Hinata spoke about her cousin.

Naruto grinned, "And because of it, Hinata's free to choose whomever she wants, and by some course of luck, she had chosen me.

Again, Sasuke decided not to mention that the Hyuuga-girl had been smitten with him since childhood, even he had noticed.

Hinata smiled and picked up the threads of the story, "Neji-nii-san was quite happy actually, and even celebrated it with his team." Now that was a thought. Hinata frowned, "But now here's the clue. They didn't expect him to have fallen in love. Not many of us expected some deep emotion besides resentment," she said.

Sasuke snorted at the thought of the stoic Hyuuga having, let alone showing emotions, "And who is this poor woman?" he asked.

Naruto laughed, "Don't you stoic types stay within the team? His teammate, Tenten, actually. She doesn't suspect a thing and Hinata here said that she thinks that it's an unrequited love of hers. But Neji is actually trying to get the elders that far to be allowed to ask her to marry him. Off course, they are still trying to refuse and Neji is losing his patience lately and every time they discuss this, or rather, the elders try to push some other woman to the forefront, a few main branches end up in the hospital," he said.

Sasuke was surprised: the story actually made sense. But then he looked at Hinata, the girl was a main-branch after all.

But Hinata shook her head, "No, he doesn't harm me, father and Hanabi since we actually support the idea. Father said that he doesn't think there are many women who can keep Neji-nii-san in check like she does, and she doesn't even do it consciously. I think rather that he is amused about the elders' demise though."

Sasuke sat back as the story seemed to have ended. He swore to himself, he would never get in that deep like the Hyuuga. A woman was only a woman to him. He could sympathize though; such a complete reign of elders over your life can't be good.

He ate the last bits of Ramen but the dobe decided not to let him pause. "How was your mission?" he asked. Sasuke heard the underlying message: how did it go with Sakura? He'd be damned if he answered that truthfully. How could he? Instead he let out a non-committal grunt.

Hinata looked questionably at Naruto, "He had a mission? I thought he was still under house-arrest?" she asked.

Naruto grinned at her, "It was a kunoichi-mission he had to come with," he explained.

Hinata's brows rose, "Reconnaissance mission with Sakura-san?" she asked.

Naruto nodded and then turned back to Sasuke, "Which dress did she wear?" he asked.

Sasuke didn't reply but grunted,"Hn."

Naruto groaned, "Less ice-block, more answers, please," he said.

Sasuke pushed the bowl away from him, "Red," he grumbled.

Naruto winced, "That's even worse than the dark green one; I thought Kakashi was going to have a fit last time. Didn't know the dude could be fatherly, but surprise, surprise. Did you keep yourself in check?" he asked mischievous, but Sasuke glared at him and Naruto rolled his eyes. "Of course, the Uchiha has to be the only man alive who doesn't feel a thing when Sakura's doing her best to look hot."

He looked at Hinata, "I swear she even got Gaara a red that definitely wasn't from the sun during the Christmas party last year," he told her. Then he eyed Sasuke again, "You sure there wasn't any bodily reaction? I'm sure I'll have to question your sexuality then, teme."

Sasuke thought back to the moment Sakura had been grinding against her targets. "Hn," he said. Naruto could make of it the hell he wanted.

Naruto sighed, "Whatever you want. Hey Kyuubi, let's go. I promised Sakura to bring Sasuke back to the compound," he told the fox.

Sasuke's eye twitched at the thought of being brought back to the compound like a toddler.

The Kyuubi raised his head at Naruto, "The hot stuff?" he asked.

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Yeah, but I really wish you wouldn't call her that way," he said exasperated. The Kyuubi mumbled something about it being the truth.

Hinata giggled, "Don't worry about it Naruto, see you later," she said.

Naruto grinned cheekily, "You bet," and he dragged Sasuke from the food-stand. The Kyuubi followed suitly.

Naruto released him, "Okay already," he said, but then piked up again. "Hinata's sweet, huh?" he asked.

Sasuke deadpanned her, "How far have you taken her?" he asked and took some delight in seeing Naruto turn red and looking around frantically. He sighed, "Never mind, forget I asked," he said.

Naruto released a breath, and then started laughing, "I'm glad I have my best friend and brother back," he declared as he hooked his arm around Sasuke's neck in a friendly manner.

"Dobe, get off," Sasuke replied as he shrugged Naruto away.

"Well, isn't this nostalgic," another voice said.

Naruto pointed at the person, "Kakashi-sensei!" he yelled, and the person in question raised two fingers in a greeting manner.

"Yo,"

Naruto laughed, "Where have you been these last few days?" he asked.

Kakashi raised his only visible brow, "On a mission of course. Where else would I be?" he asked. Naruto mumbled a few things about Icha Icha Paradise and movies and Kakashi's eye crinkled amused. "Do you mind if I take our little traitor for a walk?" he asked.

Naruto looked up, "Sakura-chan said I had to take him home," he said.

Kakashi laughed, "Don't worry, I'll take him home afterwards," he said.

Naruto grinned, "Okay! Have fun, teme!" he called and skipped away.

Sasuke frowned, "Last time he said that, I was send on a mission that was not fun," he muttered.

Kakashi chuckled, "Sakura on seduction missions?" he asked.

Sasuke glared at him, "How'd you guess?" he asked.

Kakashi chuckled again, "I went with her too, you know. And I am very male," he said.

Sasuke frowned, "That's gross. She's your student and you're…old," he said.

Kakashi feigned pain, grabbing his chest, "I'm hurt, you know, but I am aware of that. I told her about it. And you know what she told me? 'We'll have a good laugh about it and then forget it," he said looking off. "Now, I am not allowed to come because of my tendency to be over-protective."

Sasuke sighed, "What do you want with me?" he asked. "You were never the one for small talk."

Kakashi shook his head, "I should've known," he muttered. They had arrived at the memorial stone with the K.I.A. shinobi. "Do you feel relieved or lighter-heartened after your revenge now, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked.

The raven-haired man looked at the stone too. For the first time he saw exactly the view Kakashi had on the stone and he realized he had grown the same height if not a bit taller. "I am not sure," he answered.

Kakashi frowned at him, "Did the killing make you happy?" he asked.

Sasuke shook his head, "I killed because I had to, and I killed because Itachi had to die for what he has done,"

Kakashi nodded, "Was Itachi's death satisfying to you?" he asked.

"Hn," was all Sasuke said but his old teacher had the amazing ability to look right through his words.

"I had warned you," he said quietly.

Sasuke rubbed his arms when a light drizzle started falling from the sky. It had been a bright day but now it didn't seem the rain would be stopping anytime soon. It soon started raining harder. It reminded Sasuke of that faithful day at the valley of the end. Even if he had never been the one for memories. "Aa, you did," he replied.

Kakashi stroke his over the names of his teammates, and Sasuke recognized a few others. A shinobi's life wasn't long. "You would make the same choice to leave if you had the chance to return to the past, right?" he asked.

The silence that rested between them did not need to be answered.

-()()()()()()()-

It kept raining for the continuing days.

After Sasuke had been brought home, he had seated himself next to the window, watching the day pass. Occasionally his eyes would close and he would get a few hours of sleep, before jerking awake by haunting memories.

Ghosts of the past still dwelled in the compound and Sasuke found himself only able to stare outside. It was difficult covering old images with new ones.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door and Sasuke opened it to see a face he hadn't expected after days of solitude. Sakura stood in his doorway, clothed with a cape over her normal clothes, dripping wet. "What," she snarled, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"What are you doing here," Sasuke asked, mostly shaken by her appearance, didn't she hate him with the heat of the burning sun?

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Aren't you going to let me in?" she asked.

Silently, Sasuke opened his door to her. "What are you doing here?" he repeated his question when she hung her cape on a hook.

She grabbed the basket Sasuke hadn't seen her carrying earlier. "I have been told you haven't even eaten once since you came here. So I brought food. "She pinched her eyes when Sasuke opened his mouth, "Not because of you. I have been ordered. You didn't think you weren't being watched, I may hope," she said.

Then she walked to the kitchen. For slight second Sasuke wondered how she knew where to go, but then remembered she had cleaned his home. He seated himself quietly at the table, watching Sakura grab the needed tools.

She expertly placed her ingredients in front of her and Sasuke barely kept a smile from his lips when he noticed she was using tomatoes: his favorite food. He didn't think she remembered.

Sakura worked in silence, and she didn't ask what he wanted nor ask him to help. So he just kept watching her, using his kitchen with apparent ease.

Only one of the tomatoes fell of the counter.

Sakura noticed the tomato too late and helplessly saw it fall. She couldn't just drop the other things. It never reached the floor.

Sasuke had grabbed it before it fell, and now stood tall behind her with his hand around the tomato. He didn't say anything and chose instead to help her. He grabbed the knife she had put down when turning around and started cutting the tomatoes without a sound.

He did it without question and so Sakura chose to work beside him without a comment. When he had grabbed the tomato, it had made the air thick and heavy for a second. Sakura still felt uneasy around the man. Not scared, heaven forbid, he had become a stranger to her.

But now, working together to make a decent meal, she felt as if everything became alright. She suppressed the thought quickly. They could make dinner the hell they wanted, things would never be normal again.

Sasuke felt a chill go over his back when Sakura turned away to the furnace to put the stew he now figured she was making on the fire. He had felt strangely comfortable making the food, and before he noticed, he and Sakura were seated at the dinner table, eating their creation.

It stayed silent between them but Sasuke found it a good silence. Again he got that feeling that staying wouldn't be that bad. He was tired of running and hiding.

He was roughly awoken from this feeling, when Sakura's chair scraped across the wooden floor. "Make sure you eat daily," she said while putting on her cloak and grabbed the basket.

"Hn," Sasuke replied, even though he did appreciate the concern, only a bit insulted at the thought he couldn't take care of himself.

Sakura rolled her eyes, "I'll have someone bring you groceries two times a week." She said and opened the front door. Then she disappeared in the streaks of still pouring rain. Sasuke watched her with surprised eyes. He hadn't been expecting Sakura nurturing over him, even if it only was making dinner, in any way.

He closed the door and went back to the kitchen where their cooking utensils still weren't cleared away. But as he did the dishes himself, he found himself thinking that suddenly his house felt so much more like home.

* * *

_Oh my god you guys! I am so sorry 'bout not updating. I guess I underestimated college, and my lust for writing. I still write, and I most definitely want to finish the story no matter what!_

_I should be starting building some tension by now. So I did!_


	8. There's no Time

_New chapter! Let's hit it!_

* * *

__Chapter 8: There's No Time

Slowly months passed and Sasuke found that daily life in Konoha wasn't that exiting. Two months after being locked away in the Uchiha compound he had been granted a temporarily pardon, and was allowed to roam through the village. He could still feel cautious eyes on him: be it the obvious staring of citizens or the careful eyes of ANBU. Still there was that silent quiet peace that after all these years he had learned to appreciate.

He saw Kakashi and Naruto frequently when they were not on mission themselves, every now and then accompanied by his replacement Sai. Though Naruto claimed Sai was never meant to replace him, Sasuke felt and saw many similarities between them. But the former root paid attention and was so terribly blunt and the nicknames he gave were annoying.

Sasuke never thought he'd actually call someone annoying again and mean it. First Sai had called him traitor but Naruto told him that it actually was too sensitive for many people so to Sasuke's annoyance the young man had settled for Sparky.

Sasuke knew he used lightning based attacks and that he could come across rather touchy, but Sparky? He did not find it funny, even taken into consideration that the one calling him so was more socially inapt than he was.

He had also met up with the rest of the Rookie 11, who despite still being called like that, were anything but rookies. He wondered if he would ever want and become one of that close group again. He did not feel especially feel much for that idea, but he supposed Naruto wanted him to. A group was difficult for him.

The others were not as forgiving as Naruto was. Most of them looked at him cautiously and especially the ones he learned had chased him. But as time passed he was able to talk to them normally, or as normal as could be expected.

He had spoken with the Nara, and found that, despite the laziness, the man had very sensible things to say. He'd even spoken about his marriage, and said that it really didn't feel much different, except that he had to wear a ring at times and wake up next to a woman. And that, Shikamaru said, he didn't mind so much as long as she would let him sleep when he could and wanted to.

At that point the Hyuuga had left the bar, a place where they apparently met up, and came back after a few minutes, looking decidedly more haggard. With the story explained to Sasuke, he did not find it strange as much as remarkable. Hyuuga Neji was, according to Sasuke, in deep way too much, and let emotions toy with him. In any case, the males present were smart enough not to snigger.

The rest of the time Sasuke spent waiting and meditating. He could do some light Taijutsu but he was still forced to wear the chakra-bracelet and it limited him in his training. This did annoy him, but at some point Sasuke admitted to himself that he felt more in balance. Maybe he did build his strength too much on chakra, and as soon as that thought struck, Sasuke felt his anger about the bracelet dissipate.

He found he really did not have a reason to be so angry all the time anymore, as Naruto told him subtly. Perhaps that was true. Speaking with Itachi, really did give him closure.

It was a normal occurrence that he went to Ichiraku at least two times a week. Most definitely with Naruto, sometimes with Kakashi, Sai, or Yamato joining them. The only one that never showed was Sakura. In fact he hadn't seen her since that day that she made him dinner. He hadn't needed to ask Naruto, since the young man had seemed to sense the question, even if he didn't comment on why the question was even there.

They were in Ichiraku when Naruto spoke up. "Sorry, Teme. Sakura-chan cancelled again," he said.

Sasuke looked at him silently, and Naruto shivered under the dark gaze. No matter how many times Sasuke looked at him like that, Naruto couldn't help but think that his eyes had turned so cold. This time however, Naruto caught on to the question that these black pits asked. That silent question seemed etched in Sasuke's eyes.

He was always asking why: Why wasn't she coming?

Naruto shrugged, "She said that she had to make extra hours at the hospital after all those missions that she had been doing lately." While that was true, since that despite that the war was over, many people still needed protection and help so their job as shinobi was far from over, he knew what Sasuke was thinking: Sakura was avoiding him.

And even if Sakura said differently, Naruto believed she was indeed avoiding the raven-haired man. He didn't think he made the wrong choice by bringing his not-by-blood brother back to Konoha, but he knew there was definitely still a lot of patching up to do.

Sasuke clenched his chopsticks annoyed: he didn't know why he was thinking that maybe today Sakura would make some time for them. For him since apparently she took the time to see Naruto. He wanted to clear the air between them, and not let Naruto's effort go into waste. He was tired of fighting among them. He wasn't going to apologize since he didn't feel like there was something to apologize for, but maybe they could act normal around each other.

"Sasuke, what is it between you and Sakura?" Naruto asked, shaking him out of his reverie. The blond had a curious look and his face was leaning into his hand. Clearly, he wanted an answer.

"Hn," Sasuke replied, and a muscle in Naruto's face twitched.

"Damnit, teme! Can't you for once get that ridiculous large stick out of your ass and reply in normal language. In case you haven't noticed, I'm still not that fluent in Sasuke-nese, like Sakura. Sometimes we can connect perfectly fine but right now, I don't know what you're thinking at all!" he exploded, slamming his fist on the counter.

The old man and Ayame pretended to do something else to give them a little bit of space.

"I don't know, okay?" Sasuke growled, "Maybe we can't patch up like you and I did." He raked his hair in annoyance. He knew what the dove would think. He would claim that it was only sexual tension between him and Sakura, but he knew that it was something so much deeper.

Naruto sighed in return, "I guess," and rested the case. This surprised Sasuke. The Naruto he had known was a hyper-active loudmouth act-before-you-think guy who certainly didn't rest cases. Yet this Naruto did. But, as it was a topic that Sasuke rather didn't discuss, he certainly did not complain, and chose to eat the familiar ramen.

It never really had left his senses completely, and he blamed this on having eaten it too much in the past.

"Uchiha Sasuke?" a voice asked.

Turning around there was an ANBU waiting for him. Sasuke did not give an audible reply, and chose instead for nodding his head. The ANBU nodded in return, "Your presence in requested by the Hokage, as soon as possible," he said and disappeared.

Naruto looked at him, his blue eyes questioning, "Did you do anything, teme?" he asked.

Sasuke sighed, "Haven't got the faintest idea," and stood up; straightening the clothes he had currently changed into. It was more like Itachi had worn during his Konoha days, a black shirt with the Uchiha fan on the back and black pants. He had finally gotten himself rid of that purple rope he had used in the past. The only difference was that Sasuke's sleeves were a bit shorter than Itachi's were. He knew that people were afraid of him turning into his brother, yet Sasuke thought that he was honoring his brother's memory and ignored it.

With a lazy hand wave he set off for the Hokage building.

* * *

As of such, Sasuke found himself in the room before the desk with the blond Hokage behind it, staring at him and most surprisingly, Sakura. To be honest, Sasuke didn't think that the pink-haired kunoichi was getting enough sleep as there were black lines under her eyes. Maybe she did do extra hours after all.

"You are here because I have a mission for you both," Tsunade stated.

Sakura scoffed, "The Uchiha isn't allowed to do missions yet, and you know perfectly well I am capable of doing them on my own," she said her green eyes hard.

Tsunade glared at her and her fist came down on the table, cracking it a bit, "I have had more than enough of your petty little act of the past few months, Sakura," she growled. Sakura returned the glare evenly and Sasuke decided to stay out of it. "It's a retrieval mission of a very important scroll and you will do it with the Uchiha as we speak!" Tsunade continued.

Sakura set her jaw, and even from his place, Sasuke could sense the waves of anger from her, "Can I ask why, and why him?" she asked tersely.

Tsunade growled, "No, you can't. Last time I checked I was still the Hokage. You will do the mission as I order. But as to humor you, I wouldn't let anyone go on this mission on their own and at least the Uchiha is silent enough not to be noticed!" she said.

Sakura shuffled lightly in her place, "What is the exact mission?" Sasuke asked. Surely he wasn't looking forward to a mission with the vicious female but it was a mission nonetheless. And after months of doing nothing but meditating and Taijutsu he was itching to be doing something else.

Tsunade sat back, he anger slightly diminished. "An A-mission to retrieve a scroll with certain dangerous medical Nin jutsu from one of the neighboring villages to sound." At this point both Sasuke and Sakura tensed. It never strayed from being a sensitive topic to them both. Tsunade rolled her eyes, "I wouldn't send you two if I had any other choice but I haven't and it is crucial that this scroll comes back," she said.

Both Sasuke and Sakura nodded: they understood the gravity of the situation. "_GO!"_ Tsunade barked as she handed the two the mission details. They quickly exited the office.

"Half an hour, Konoha gate," Sakura said coldly, and Sasuke grabbed her arm before she could take off herself.

"We are equal shinobi on this mission," he said boring his eyes into hers.

Sakura shook him off and glared back, "To me, you will stay a traitor," she said, and turned around. "No matter what everyone says," she said without looking around and then left. Sasuke sighed and went towards the Uchiha compound.

He was unhappy with the situation and a sort of disappointed. It seemed he wasn't able to let her see the shinobi he was still becoming, even if he had done painful things in the past. But despite those thoughts, Sasuke found himself at the Konoha Gate half an hour later, as Sakura had ordered him: Kusanagi strapped to his back. Even with the occasional release if a little bit more chakra, he was unable to use his Sharingan, let alone Chidori.

Only a minute late, Sakura arrived strapping her medical supplies to her side. She looked at Sasuke who looked back at her evenly and before the guards knew it, the odd and unlikely duo had set off north.

This mission was more urgent than the last one he did with her, Sasuke noticed as he again was at Sakura's tail. Her pace was higher than last time and he was glad that he had kept working on Taijutsu for speed. Despite the fact that they had to cross the whole of fire country, Sasuke found himself crouching on a tree branch in the evening, looking at the designated village on the border of Sound.

Next to him was Sakura. Just like him she was looking at the village, inspecting it. "At first sight, it looks like a normal village," Sasuke murmured.

"That's the image they want to give away," Sakura replied at the same hushed voice. Sasuke looked at her; she had spoken so softly that he wondered whether she had moved further away. He suddenly decided that the setting sun looked good on her.

Then he frowned: he had absolutely no idea where that thought came from.

"Uchiha, attention," Sakura brought him back. This was neither the time nor place to contemplate these things. "There's a sleeping guy outside the wall," she said. "He seems ordinary but I see weapons hidden in him and his chakra is continuously scanning the near forest. He's a tracker."

Sasuke looked at her inquisitively; her observation skills were indeed very good. "We should stay here then," Sasuke deduced.

Sakura shook her head, "Your chakra is like a little squirrel, weak. And mine is hidden." Sasuke almost winced, another shot to his pride. "Now, where to look for the scroll?" she muttered.

"Where do you think they think we wouldn't look?" Sasuke asked as to give a hint. After all he stayed in sound for quite a while.

Sakura cracked a grin, "Useful for once," she said. "We wouldn't look in the central house. Nobody would look such an obvious place," she said. Sasuke had to give her credits for her quick thinking; it was reverse psychology, common in Sound as he remembered. "What do you suggest we do? Out of the both of us, you know Sound the best. Besides, I am not all that good at Ninjutsu still. Genjutsu still is my forte."

Sasuke could hear the biting sarcasm behind it, but did feel as if they had progressed a bit. She at least considered his invoice, and trusted him enough to know her weak points. Actually, he had suspected something like that. "We wait 'till nightfall. Prideful like they are, at night they go to sleep," he answered her. If there was one thing he had learned from staying with Orochimaru was that Sound was out of nature prideful, almost overconfident. It was Orochimaru who kept them on guard.

Now, they really didn't think anyone would attack at night.

Sakura nodded, "Then we'll wait another hour before searching for that damned scroll," she said.

* * *

As Sasuke and Sakura waited, slowly but surely the town went to sleep and before the hour was up the streets were silent. "Let's go," Sakura murmured, and with a surprising agility, which wasn't so surprising after all Sasuke figured, she jumped off the branch.

Instead of going through the gate, Sakura jumped over the main wall, and only then Sasuke remembered he was supposed to come along. Silently cursing himself, he followed her. Sakura stood waiting for him on the other side with a look that clearly told him he'd better not slack off again.

In no time they had reached the main house. This was lightly concerning, since apparently outside from the guard outside the wall; there had been no guards at all. Sasuke wasn't sure if this was only pride anymore. Pushing those thoughts aside, they searched the house silently. The occupants were deeply asleep and Sasuke almost smirked at the easiness of this.

It did feel too easy when they found the scroll in the basement.

"Hello, Sasuke-san," a voice came from the dark when Sasuke wanted to make way to the exit. Apparently, the scroll wasn't unguarded, and they were in no need of being vain about power. Turning around Sasuke found himself staring in the eyes of Juugo. The tall man eyed him and Sakura with curious eyes.

Sasuke knew from experience that anything could set him off so they really shouldn't show hostility. "I didn't expect to find you back on Konoha's side," he spoke.

"I didn't as well, but well, there is a chakra oath around my neck. I don't have much of a choice." Sasuke was careful to keep his tone light; even if he was in no way glad about the oath, he didn't want Sakura killed, and Juugo was liable like that. Out of the three members he had collected for team Hebi, Taka later on, he liked Juugo the most.

Juugo's eyes twinkled amused, "And I can assume that this is the lady having the honors of holding it?" he asked, looking at Sakura. Sasuke nodded slowly; for now, Juugo didn't seem to be showing any violent intent. The gentle giant chuckled, "What's your name, lady?" he asked.

Sakura looked up, she hadn't expected to find such a kind man between all the sound-scum, and yes that included Sasuke. She looked at Sasuke, as much as she disliked him he was her beacon on who to trust. Sasuke nodded only slightly, at that was Sakura's key. "Haruno Sakura, medical kunoichi," she said shortly.

Juugo's eyes saddened, "Ah, a medical," he said.

Sakura's eyes softened. Apparently, he didn't have any good experience with medical jutsu. "What is it?" she asked.

Juugo looked at the woman who looked minimized next to him, "You see, I kinda have a curse with me, and I want more than anything to be free of it. I don't want to hurt anyone anymore," he said.

Sakura suddenly realized what the problem was. It was only to coincidental Orochimaru could implant a jutsu on people he himself did not seem to have. Apparently the cursed Mark did have an origin. She smiled, "If you promise no harm, you can come to Konoha. My shishou and I will see what we can do," she said.

Juugo seemed worried, "You promise? I can be a danger to your home," he said. Sakura nodded; Konoha should have enough possibilities to restrain someone, even if the one was under the curse-mark. And if it all came down to it, apparently the Uchiha had been able to restrain him.

Sasuke scraped his throat, "What are you doing here in Sound, Juugo?" he asked.

Juugo shrugged, "No other country wanted to have me. Sound is anything but careless." He threw a look over his shoulder, "You two should go, they know of your presence already. I can't do anything for you two here," he said.

Sakura cursed softly; it had been too easy. "See you again then," she greeted Juugo and headed off outside.

Both Juugo and Sasuke gave each other a nod. "It's nice to see you're okay, Sasuke. It seems you found a home," the big man said. Sasuke didn't reply, he was still thinking about that himself. He too headed outside.

A curse barely passed his lips upon seeing the sight. Sakura was already engaged in combat and was surrounded by Shinobi. True to her word she was not using Ninjutsu, but her humongous strength. She seemed to be holding up so far but there was only so much one shinobi could do against a group; moreover one who was specialized in close combat.

He knew Sakura, and he didn't have much time. So he jumped in the circle, Kusanagi drawn. He pressed his back against hers, so that they could not be attacked from behind. "What are you doing? You should have taken that scroll to Konoha. I can take care of things here," the pink-haired kunoichi hissed.

Sasuke snorted as he reflected a wave of kunai, "You underestimate your ability. You are a one-on-one combatant," he told her.

Sakura growled back at him, "In return for that, I'll kick your ass when we're back in Konoha," she said. But then, there was no opportunity to say anything as both Sasuke and Sakura need to concentrate on their own fight.

Sasuke couldn't remember ever having to fight this hard. With only his sword on his offence he had a hard time finishing the opponents off. From the corner of his eye he saw Sakura fighting twice as much people as he did. Apparently they were keen on finishing the female off first; sexism was usual in Sound Sasuke remembered. He almost snickers at this suggestion as he saw another man flying off in the distance.

Sakura was by no mean weak anymore. Those fists of hers were lethal. Now this thought surprised him: it was the first time he had acknowledged Sakura's strength by himself.

Groaning as he intercepted an incoming attacker, he decided he had the worst timings for these revelations. But then it went all wrong and all Sasuke could do was watch. One of Sakura's attackers made an unknown seal and then in a second he was at Sakura's neck. The man wouldn't have had time to deliver a fatal blow but Sasuke feared that the graze with the purple-glowing hand at Sakura's neck was enough before he was slammed down.

Sasuke saw Sakura's eyes widen and then close.

She fell just like that.

Sasuke knew he had barely seconds. It took only a flash of a moment to get to her little frame and he picked her up. She wasn't heavy at all. From the corner of his eye, he could have sworn he saw Juugo smile amusedly before he took off.

What was amusing about this?

"…Sasuke…" Sakura murmured in his arms. Sasuke almost dropped her in shock of hearing his name on her lips. His given name which she hadn't used in so long. "…don't leave…" she breathed before Sasuke felt her heartbeat slow.

Still running as fast as he could to get away from the village, he swore loudly, "Damnit Sakura! Don't go to sleep right now!" he bit out. But Sakura didn't reply and Sasuke felt her heartbeat slow down more every second. At this rate, she would die!

Making impossibly more speed, Sasuke hurried back to Konoha. "Sakura! Stay with me right now!" Sasuke furiously tried to wake her up. To no avail. Sakura stayed as lifeless as she seemed to be. Swearing loudly again, Sasuke pressed the pink-haired woman closer and even if he never would tell anyone, he was scared she would right at that moment. Just like that in his arms.

She was annoying, violent and she loved to hurt him, but she was Sakura, strong and kind to anyone but him. She didn't deserve to die. And he'd be damned if she would die with things like they were now. "I'm staying right here, Sakura, so don't you die on me," he whispered to her as Konoha Gates came into view.

He never noticed the blurs passing to take care of his pursuers; he didn't even notice the idiot and self-proclaimed best friend yelling to him as he made way to the hospital. He'd been sealed to this place since he opened his eyes in that closed room.

But as he stormed through the doors of the hospital while yelling shouting loudly for Tsunade, he didn't care about that all that much.

* * *

_Dooooooneee! I don't own Naruto or its characters. Anyone else hugely excited for the movie Road to Ninja?_


	9. Into the Mind

_Hello again. I_'_m trying to keep in line with the manga as much as possible, but sometimes, it's just not possible. That's the bitch with continuing stories…_

_I still don't own Naruto; that's Kishimoto-sensei's property._

* * *

Chapter 9: Into the mind

Sasuke sat on the plastic bench in front of the emergency-room he knew Sakura was being treated in right now. Having calmed enough to think clearly he ran his mind over the present circumstances. Since Sakura was on the edge of life and death he presumed he should be able to take his freedom at that moment.

Sakura wasn't able to pull the chakra-oath right now and by the time she would be able to do so, he'd be long gone; finding out how to remove the damned thing without approval.

But as it would seem, exactly the circumstance kept him on that bench in front of the door. He knew he was worried; he just didn't want her to die; especially on his watch (he didn't remind himself it should be the other way around). If the situation hadn't been that grave, he would have laughed at the irony.

Of all the shit she pulled on him, and all the harsh things she had said, he felt that threatening to die on him is the best way for her to get her revenge.

"Uchiha! Get your ass in here!" Tsunade yelled at him from the now open doors. He hadn't even noticed them opening. Any half-heartened plan of escape just went out of the window. The blond woman looked stressed as he walked up to her and upon entering the room he saw Sakura laying on a tatami-mat. The room itself was dark but for the medical staff's glowing chakra and the floor was lightening up with a huge seal.

Sasuke recognized it as a seal to make sure the soul actually stayed in the body. And since Sakura was lying in the middle of it, he assumed the worst. "Is she…?" he asked.

Tsunade scoffed, "Of course not!" she said irritably.

Sasuke shook his head, "Then, what am I doing here?" he asked.

Tsunade frowned as she took her place on the side of the seal and the green chakra glowed even stronger, "I assume you saw her given this blow?" she asked tersely. Sasuke nodded once, not sure where she was going. "Which color was the chakra?" she asked.

Sasuke frowned, what did that have to do with anything. "Purple," he answered shortly.

Tsunade muttered a few curses and the brown-haired woman on her side warned her not to bring any more disturbances in the chakra-flow. "That's what I feared," she said. Then she sighed, "Okay then, Uchiha, we have only one way of saving Sakura and that is by you going in her head!" she said.

Sasuke almost choked, "What?" he spluttered. For a fact he knew that he certainly didn't want to go into the rosette's head, as much as he wanted to know what she was thinking.

Tsunade let out an irritated huff, "You are suited enough to go into her mind because of your Sharingan. She'll never wake-up if she doesn't come out soon!" she said.

Sasuke shook his head, "Why me, There are people with better-fitted jutsu for minds," he said as he raked his hair.

The blond-haired lady blew a strand of hair from her face, "Because, damnit, Uchiha, we don't have time to get any of them!" she said angrily. "Any second more means less chance Sakura will wake up,"

Again, Sasuke felt the waver in the flow of chakra and he was vaguely aware of the enormous amount of energy in this room. But he frowned, "Even if I want to, I can't. In case you don't remember, I can't use Sharingan! Is still have this stupid bracelet," he waved his arm as to prove his point.

Tsunade rolled her eyes, "Come here!" she ordered, signing for him to put his arm out to her. As he did so, she grabbed the bracelet into her fingers. In a second, it snapped.

"How did you….?"

Tsunade smirked smugly, "Sakura's my student. I would've learned a thing or two about how she works," she said. Then suddenly, Sasuke walked as if he had walked into a massive wall, an odd feeling. Panting he sank down on one knee. Unbelievingly the though came onto him that this was his own chakra. He had never seen it as suffocating as it was right now. Tsunade looked amused at him, "Took chakra for granted, didn't you?" she asked.

Sasuke chose not to respond as he slowly regained his breath. He slowly moved his limbs as they suddenly felt heavy and light at the same time. It was true that he had taken it for granted and he was painfully aware of the amount he possessed. It made him wonder for a second how Naruto could even move with the amount he had.

His respect grew involuntarily for the blond man.

"Well, aren't you going to take some action?" Tsunade asked. Sasuke swore that he saw lined of elderly in her face now. This seal took more strength and energy than he had thought.

"What makes you so sure that I won't destroy her from the inside out or just wait till she dies slowly?" Sasuke asked coldly.

Tsunade shook her head, he mouth set in a grim line. "I am not sure, hell; I don't want you anywhere near Sakura's mind. But she'll die if I don't. Make sure, do any of the things you just mentioned and I'll personally hunt you to the end of the earth and kill you in the most horrible ways," she said.

Sasuke sighed, contrary to what she said, he wouldn't let Sakura die. She didn't let him die despite her intense hate for him. And he didn't hate Sakura; he wasn't even sure if he still disliked her the way he did when they were young. "Hn, I'll do it," he grunted.

A glimpse of relief passed over the blonde's face, "Thank you, Uchiha," she murmured, "Don't let my daughter die."

A medic came up to Sasuke, it seemed as if this woman with black hair was appointed to keep the chakra flow steady by telling exactly which people had to give more or less. Sasuke was vaguely aware of where he wasn't supposed to stand as he was guided to Sakura.

She seemed to be laying peacefully, hair messy underneath her head. But her pale-blue complexion proved that she was slipping away from the seals grasp. Tsunade was right; they didn't have time to wait for anyone else that was used to being in minds. Sasuke knew he didn't have a whole lot of time, but he wasn't sure whether he could get into her mind. Even with another's jutsu.

She had her eyes closed after all, and Sharingan was really only effective on those awake. Back when he had used Sharingan daily, it might have been easier, but now, he wasn't sure. It had been almost a year after all.

"Please save Haruno –sama?" the medic spoke as she went back to the outside of the circle that was the seal. Sasuke sighed; apparently Sakura was highly respected to be called Haruno-sama. He sat down beside her head and looked at the woman. He really didn't want to do this, but apparently he had no choice.

He concentrated and muttering Sharingan he felt his eyes get sharper. He kept staring at Sakura as he faintly registered Tsunade giving out orders. She called if he was ready and nodding he took a deep breath. For a moment he felt his body pushed away by the natural barrier the human mind possessed as the jutsu took effect. It really only took an extra mental push which he had indeed needed the Sharingan for and he felt the consciousness of his body slip away.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

When Sasuke opened his eyes, he really thought he still had them closed as it was pitch-black. He had never actually been in a jutsu like this and that extra push had originally only been used by Madara. However, being the last Uchiha, it meant that this jutsu was now his as well.

He tried to turn around and he twisted awkwardly. The space he was in pressed heavily on him and yet there was no ground for him to stand on. It made him feel like he was swimming without water. "Moving like you're swimming makes you look weird. Just try to walk normally," Sakura's voice said.

Looking up from his feet he saw Sakura standing, floating a small distance away from him. "Sakura, what are you doing here?" he asked. He knew Tsunade had told him to get Sakura out of her mind as quickly as possible, but he wasn't expecting something so literally. In fact he hadn't known where to start. Her back was his way and he wondered slightly how she knew about his actions.

"Sasuke, this is my mind. It's more of a question what you are doing here," she said. Sasuke noticed she wasn't asking, she was just mentioning it.

"Sakura, you have to snap out of it," he said simply. Sakura didn't reply. He walked up to her the way she had told him to move. It felt unnatural without ground under his feet. "Sakura!" he urged. Time was leaking away from them and she was standing there, sunken in thought.

There suddenly was a blinding light and then he found himself standing on the roof of the Konoha hospital. For a moment he thought that he was kicked out of Sakura's mind when he saw Sakura standing next to him and that weightless feeling that belonged to being separated from your body. "Sakura, what is this?" he asked.

Sakura smiled softly, something she hadn't done before near him. "My memories," she said. Then the silence was over and the multiple loud bangs pulled his attention.

"Don't be so cocky!" he heard his own voice say. But Sasuke could swear that his mouth hadn't opened and that his voice had become deeper and lower. Looking up, he saw himself fighting with Naruto in the sky.

Only, they were years younger. This, Sasuke remembered. It had been the first time he'd challenged Naruto. He had been angry and frustrated because of Naruto's growth. He saw himself burn the Naruto clones, and they poofed. Only he and Naruto were left after that.

And if he remembered correctly….

"Rasengan!"

"Chidori!"

His memory didn't fail him. He saw his younger self and Naruto go for each other.

"I only wanted to stop you two," Sakura spoke softly. "To stop that unavoidable clash between you guys." She lazily looked back over her shoulder, away from Sasuke. He was shocked when he saw the younger version of Sakura storm past them, screaming to stop. He saw the shock on the faces of the attacking boys.

He didn't remember his face being that full of fear and he realized he had been afraid to hit Sakura when he had been young. He did remember thinking that he couldn't stop. "I wonder what would've happened if I had been hit back then," Sakura murmured.

Sasuke looked at her; her face was void of anything but melancholy. "I wonder how your faces would've looked. Wonder if it had made a difference." Her voice broke at the end. Sasuke stared back at the scene unfolding; Kakashi was flinging the boys in opposite directions. He could faintly hear the scolding that Kakashi had done towards them; Chidori was not for killing but protecting, as was Rasengan.

Then the scene died on the whole and Sasuke thought it was over. He wanted to get the pink-haired woman's arm when suddenly he found himself in another familiar place in Konoha; to be exact: Ichiraku Ramen. He noticed the younger Sasuke wasn't there. It was just Sakura and Naruto. The young girl was barely eating her ramen ad Naruto was expressing his worry towards her.

Sasuke learned through the conversation that Naruto had been so sure that he wouldn't go to Orochimaru. He suddenly grasped a little of how deep the betrayal must have hurt them.

"I could barely eat, even with Naruto trying to comfort me," Sakura said and she tilted her head a bit, "He was always good at comforting." Her voice sounded choked up. Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he saw Sakura leaving the stand and wandered off in the night. The present versions of them followed her.

"What is this, Sakura?" Sasuke asked her again.

Again, Sakura smiled solemnly. "My memories," she replied. Sasuke figured she wasn't going to give a certain answer and looked at the view. The gate looked familiar, the way was not unknown; even the moon was alive in his own memories. He never really forgot this night, and it was odd to see it from the other side.

"This is the only way out of Konoha," both the old and present Sakura said. It sounded strange to hear the new voice say those old words. The scene unfolding was the night he left Konoha. He looked at Sakura give her little speech. And then at a certain point he saw himself turning around slightly.

"After all this time, you are still annoying," the younger version of him said disdainfully.

Time slowed suddenly, and all sound but the echo oh his voice disappeared. "That's how I remember it," Sakura said as she walked over to her younger version. Her hand seemed to almost brush the hair of the past Sakura in a comforting gesture. "Time really slowed for me, and I couldn't hear the sound of the wind through the trees anymore," she said as she retracted her hand again.

Slowly the scene started moving again and Sasuke watched the younger Sakura bow her head. "That was all I ever was to you," the older version said, as tears ran over the younger's face. As he looked at the Sakura next to him he saw tears over her face as well. He didn't expect, for her to cry still over this.

The younger Sakura now screamed for him not to go, and for the first time, Sasuke could feel that she had meant it, meant it also when she asked him to take her. That maybe it hadn't been a silly little girl's crush.

Then it was silent, and present Sakura smiled whimsically, "This hurts the most after all," she said.

"Sakura," the 12-year old Sasuke said. Sasuke looked at his own self move quickly, back then it had been so fast. "Thank you," he heard his own voice say as the scene too blacked out as well.

Sakura sighed, "Next morning, I woke up on that stone bench," she said solemnly. "I wondered why you thanked me. Never really found out." Sasuke slowly began to realize what Sakura has been torturing herself with all this time.

Flashes of the past followed each other. First it was Naruto giving the young Sakura thumbs up at the Konoha gate, sided by the people he knew would chase him. So that was what Naruto had been blabbering about when he said not to go back on his word to Sakura.

The view blackened again, and lit up. This time there wasn't a crowd but he saw Kakashi standing there with Sakura. "It will be alright," the younger sensei said. Then he jumped away.

Older Sakura let out a soft chuckle. "I wanted to believe him. But my heart knew it wasn't going to be alright. Looking back now, I think he was also trying to comfort himself too. I think he blamed himself." Sasuke suddenly felt the urge to comfort her. It annoyed him to see her cry, and being lost. That was what he found annoying, her crying.

Kakashi faded and this time, Sasuke found himself outside a door in a hospital hallway. Again it was the Konoha hospital. The younger Sakura was in front of him with her hand on the door handle, visibly hesitating to open the door. He heard murmurs coming from the room but he didn't understand what they were saying. Only the younger Sakura could.

"It's Naruto in that room," Sakura said, looking at her younger self, silent tears still on her face. It shimmered in the dark. "It was the first time after he came back failing to bring you home. It was hard on him." Then the scene faded and again they stood in the dark. "Over the years we were starting to get used to it though. Naruto left to train with Jiraiya. I stayed."

Sasuke frowned trying to get his senses back, In Sakura's mind; there wasn't a real sound or color when the view had died. "Sakura," he suddenly heard his own voice say, and another memory started.

"It had been two and a half years since then," Sakura murmured and she and Sasuke appeared in the place. Sasuke found himself come face to face with a version of himself of three and a half years ago. The younger Sasuke wore the white cloth as a shirt and the dark hakama as pants with the purple cord. It was strange to see himself in this perspective. Sakura looked at him amused, "What were you thinking when you chose these clothes really?"

He saw himself attack Naruto, who didn't move a muscle which in hindsight was rather impressive. Kusanagi was almost cutting his throat. The Sakura beside him stayed silent. Then the eyes of the younger Sasuke became blank. The older Sasuke remembered that, it wasn't often that you came face to face with the legendary Kyuubi. He certainly hadn't expected to find that in his childhood friend. All the resent had suddenly become logical to him, unfair, but logical. Everybody had been afraid of Naruto since the start.

He then saw himself jump up, back to the snake-sannin and the creepy Kabuto. "It did hurt that you didn't even acknowledge me. Surely, you addressed me, but you didn't acknowledge my growth," Sakura said. Sasuke had almost forgotten she had been there. He'd even forgotten whose mind he was in.

The scene blackened rapidly and all he could see for a moment was his own back with that Uchiwa-fan against the white. Then his lingering form disappeared as well.

"The next time, you were even more ruthless," Sakura murmured. Sasuke feared for what he was going to see. The image had long stayed on his eye-lids; that kunai pressed against Sakura's neck. Just as he had remembered, he saw himself standing behind the younger Sakura, the other side of the same event.

"Take me with you," the younger pink-haired said. He saw himself look up, that ice-cold annoyance grazing his features. He said nothing as the younger version of himself ordered Sakura to kill Karin.

"I thought it was enough. Your never ending assault on us was tiring me out, so my resolve was to kill you," she said, a cold dis-attachment entering her voice. To her say it like that was bitter, even if he had known. Sasuke looked at the 15 year old kunoichi almost pressing that kunai in his back.

"That kunai was poisoned. If I had pressed on and the metal would have gotten to your skin, you would have been dead without the antidote; even if the wound itself wouldn't be lethal," Sakura mentioned.

_This_ Sasuke didn't know, and he suddenly looked even more different at medical abilities. Even ordinary ones could lethal apparently. "But, I couldn't kill the man I loved," the older Sakura said bitterly. Sasuke couldn't help but notice the past tense. She said loved, it wasn't surprising but unexpectedly painful that her annoying crush on him had past. It had been one of the stable things in his life.

"You awoke me harshly and if it weren't for Naruto, you'd have killed me. It had been the last time I carried any other feeling for you than contempt. And you know what that feeling was, Sasuke?" she asked as the scene faded with Naruto swing her out of his grasps. Sasuke closed his eyes, not wanting to know what she felt, he knew enough by just being here.

Sakura chuckled, "It was pity, Sasuke." Sasuke's eyes snapped open to the kunoichi who floated there with a solemn smile on her face. She wasn't mocking him, she really pitied him and he couldn't figure out for the love of kami why. "I pity you, not because of your loss of your family or your loneliness," she pulled a face, "As sad as that might have been. I felt sorry for the boy who had an empty heart and had turned into a monster. Not even your brother's sacrifice could justify that," she said.

Her voice sounded blank and not for the first time, Sasuke realized that she didn't care anymore. "Come on, Sakura, you have to wake up now," he said instead. Memories you could drown in, even if they weren't your own.

But Sakura shook her head, "No I told you before, I can't. Inner Sakura still sleeps and I think this is just fine. It hurts but I know this pain already," she said.

Then Sasuke pinched his eyes, did Sakura seem faded? He tried to touch her, to awake her from her reverie and that they could end this weird dream already. But his hand never touched Sakura's arm, and he realized that she was starting to disappear.

"It doesn't matter anymore," she mumbled once more, more to herself than to him.

"Damnit!" Sasuke cursed. He couldn't let Sakura slip, because….well there wasn't a reason; he just couldn't! But then another scene started and this came unexpected to him; he didn't remember meeting Sakura another time after that. He looked curiously at Sakura but the woman didn't look at him; she didn't even acknowledge him anymore.

So he looked at the scene, and contrary to the other scenes that were either violent or laced with sadness, this one seemed relatively peaceful. He saw a young boy with black hair and onyx eyes, running through a grass field.

A toddler, Sasuke guessed she couldn't be much older than two years, ran a little wobbly after the boy. He was perhaps her older brother. It was good weather and the two children were screaming with glee. The sight was, he might say, quite adorable. Sasuke felt strangely tranquil and felt his features soften.

He couldn't help it.

"Come on you two! How's dad supposed to catch you now?" A woman's voice said.

Turning around, Sasuke found himself looking at a woman of approximately 25 years, give or take a few. The pink hair was a dead giveaway. This was supposed to be Sakura when she was older. Turning to the children again, Sasuke narrowed his eyes. She was going to be a mother in 5 years?

But, she looked happy. Even so, she said 'Dad'. Did that mean that she found someone she was willing to spend her life with? A long-delayed sense of loss began eating him. It meant that not only his place in Sakura's life wasn't his anymore, but also that it was filled by someone else. Some better man, for he never would marry Sakura, and be able to make her happy like this.

He almost laughed at the irony. The only time he realized he could be interested in Sakura was the time he found himself in her head and she was hating his guts. Or something like that. The Sakura, the one his age, stood beside him frozen with tears on her face. "Gotcha!" the unidentified man said. That unknown husband of hers.

Sasuke felt his mouth drop open as he looked at the man scooping up his son and twirling him around high. The boy screamed in delight and swirled his arms around the pale neck of his father. The man laughed and put his son down. He chuckled lowly, "Come on guys, let's get mum!" he said. And with the strength of a 5- and a 2-year old the kids attacked their mother.

Together with their father they brought her down in one big mess of limbs. It didn't look as if she was fighting much. That Sakura screamed while laughing. It really was a relief somehow to see her that happy. "Don't tell the kids to do that! Get off!" she called.

Sasuke feared to hear the name she was going to call; he had seen the face.

"Sasuke!" she screamed as the man tickled her.

The younger Sasuke felt paralyzed as he watched the other him tease and laugh with her in abandon, the two kids laughing at their mother's downfall.

"What are you doing here?" the Sakura next to him said. She seemed to have awoken from whatever she was thinking about. She went to stand in front of him when he didn't respond. "Bastard! I said, what are you doing here!" she snarled.

Sasuke watched her getting furious, unable to reach out. "Get the hell away! Get out from my head!" Sakura started to scream, the scene from before, the people in it laughing while frozen in place, as a background picture. Suddenly, Sasuke heard a rumble and it didn't quit.

"You've done enough already! Go away!" Sakura kept on screaming. The rumble kept getting louder as Sasuke stared wordlessly at the furious woman.

Then, a white-outlined figure appeared, which towered enormously above the two of them. On her head was written _'Inner Sakura'_ and she seemed to be angry. '…so she's the Inner she was talking about,' Sasuke dully noted.

"Get the hell out!" Sakura screamed, tears over her face and holding her head. The inner Sakura stretched her hands out to him, and suddenly hit him hard. Sasuke felt himself leave the dark void of Sakura's mind.

Then the mental shock hit him. Why did he have children with Sakura?

* * *

_And at this wonderful point I make the chapter end. I really thought it was time to get some depth. Either way; I think it's a bit overdone. Oh well. Might be because I read this over and over._

_And holy crap; over 4000 words? I think I never wrote a chapter that long! _

_Humor me and read my Rocket Power Fanfiction yeah? It's my 25th! I think that calls for a celebration. _


	10. The Only Normal One

_Ok, let's go shall we._

_I don't own Naruto or its characters. Kishimoto-sensei has those honors, and I think he should just hurry up with the plot already._

* * *

Chapter 10: The Only One Normal

With a gasp, Sasuke awoke. He instantly knew he was back in his body for he felt the weight of it. He groaned as he sat up, his body had slumped down even though he had been sitting crossed-legged. Opening his eyes he found medics running around hastily and yelling incoherent things to each other.

Then suddenly he was grabbed harshly by the shoulders by one irate Tsunade. "What did you do?! Sakura's neuron-signs are going completely hazard!" she hissed. Sasuke stared wordlessly at her, his memory still painfully clear. "You bastard! Why have you woken up but Sakura hasn't!" she continued to spit.

"She kicked me out," was all Sasuke could reply as he looked at Sakura. Both the memory of the past and the future Sakura ghosted before his eyes and he suddenly felt choked up and couldn't breathe. It was different from the time in the torture-room, but all Sasuke knew was that he needed to get out of here.

He was not quite sure of what was real or not.

Then suddenly the pink-haired woman stirred and opened her eyes slowly. Everyone in the emergency room waited with bated breath, afraid that she would fall back in the dangerous deep slumber. Her green eyes first shifted to her right in what Sasuke thought a searching look.

Then she looked to her right where he sat, never moving anything but her eyes. Then suddenly their eyes locked and they stared at each other for a good full minute. After that, Sasuke couldn't take the electric current anymore and he swiftly stood up, turned around and fled from the Emergency room.

He failed to notice the medics had started to move and shouting commands at each other.

He also ignored the "Uchiha! Come back here!" from Tsunade.

And he never caught the tears that dripped from Sakura's eyes as he bolted away.

* * *

Sasuke stormed angrily from away from the hospital. And the annoying part was that he didn't even know really why he was so angry.

He was irritated at Tsunade for forcing him to go in Sakura's mind, but he wasn't angry at her: she did what had to be done. He would have made the same decision in her place.

He was also annoyed that Sakura didn't come immediately with him the exact moment he entered her mind, but he understood that these were her memories; she was stuck in them and he knew all about living in the past.

No, if anything he was angry at himself for causing Sakura so much grief. And he didn't even know why he was so angry because of it, which only fueled the anger more. It was complicated and he needed to get it out of his system.

"Sasuke, I heard Sakura's in the hospital! What happened?" Naruto suddenly caught up with him.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at him: "Why don't you go see for yourself," he grumbled back. The idiot didn't need to come to him for that.

Naruto frowned, "I tried but they wouldn't let me see her or Tsunade-baachan," he said.

This caused Sasuke to growl angrily again and for a moment he wondered where his self-control went, but then he decided to hell with it. "Naruto, why didn't you tell me?" he asked. His voice low.

Naruto turned his head to him curiously, "I just told you that I wasn't all…"

"Not that!" Sasuke growled. "Why didn't you tell me about Sakura's grief?" he said.

Uncharacteristically, Naruto's eyes hardened, and for a moment Sasuke was reminiscent of being the Kyuubi's opponent. This was apparently a touchy subject. "Then, you'll spar with me. That's how we roll things."

Sasuke followed silently, not sure what Naruto was thinking of.

()()()()()

"You want to talk about Sakura?" Naruto asked sharply as he kicked at Sasuke who duck away and barely avoided another kick by pressing himself with one arm up in the air. When Naruto told him to spar, he wasn't exactly expecting to talk and spar at the same time.

True, they had a habit of talking out things like that, and it was good because it relieved him from some of the pending anger, but to talk about things like this was a far call. "I do," he replied as he threw one of his fuuma-shurikens.

"I didn't think you wanted to know about her," Naruto replied, using one of his bunshins to intercept the shuriken and change it alteration. This made Sasuke sure that that there was more to Sakura's behavior than he already knew about.

He used chords infused with chakra to direct kunai at Naruto who impressively reflected them all gracefully. Sasuke idly wondered if Naruto had been practicing with the Hyuuga, for it seemed like their style. "I don't," Sasuke answered, "But there has been thrown a lot of Sakura's memories at me and I am not sure whether I get it."

Naruto summoned another bunshin and attacked Sasuke; his clones so much more synchronized than they had been. Sasuke was kept busy even with his Sharingan activated. "What d'ya mean?" Naruto asked.

The real one disappeared before Sasuke could hit him. He did make one of the clones puff up. "I had to bring Sakura back from her mind. Got a dose of myself," he answered.

Naruto laughed as he performed a Naruto Rendan which Sasuke only barely avoided. He answered with a Katon. "Heh, you have been leaving rather impressive impressions, believe it. You aren't exactly an amiable guy and have never been too."

This gave Sasuke a moment to pause, and Naruto used the chance to present him with a good blow to the jaw. Sasuke flew backwards and then laid on the place where he landed; dizzy with the sheer force. "Then why did she have images of me, and her for that matter, in the future with…" he hesitated, not sure if he could confide in his best friend, "…kids…"

Naruto suddenly lost any trace of humor, and seriousness laced his features. He sat down next to Sasuke, apparently deciding that the sparring match was over. "So you saw that too," he said. It was more of a statement than anything. Sasuke looked at him blankly at which Naruto shrugged, "I would have thought that real memories were traumatizing enough, not added some twisted Genjutsu induced ones."

He shook his head and then said to himself; "I can't believe she's still walking around with that. I should talk with Tsunade-baachan about locking that part of her memory by now."

Sasuke sat up, "Genjutsu-induced ones?" he asked.

Naruto shrugged, "I never got it totally explained to me precisely and Genjutsu never has been one of my strongest points, but I believe that it had to do with a genjutsu that transformed a desire into real images. It didn't matter if the desire had been long past or not. I remember it gave you the strong urge to just stay in the illusion. It was quite dangerous," he said.

Sasuke frowned, "You know the effect rather well," he said.

Naruto sighed, "We were on the same mission. I got trapped in this genjutsu too." He sniggered, "You'd think I would be trapped in a space where I was Hokage and just plainly awesome. I wasn't. I was trapped in a place without war, no Akatsuki. I was accepted without prejudices as would everybody else with different abilities. Those who are shunned now. And you were home," he said.

Sasuke mulled over this, "That sounds reasonable," he muttered. "So then why would she be trapped in a Genjutsu with us having children? It's illogical!" he said.

Naruto pinched his nose, "Is it?" he asked. "Sakura cared for you more than she should have for years. It is not that surprising she would have dreamt sometime about having children," he said.

Sasuke grunted, "Isn't that creepy?" he asked. He had not quite forgotten how fangirls actually behaved.

Naruto puffed out some air, "That's for you to decide. But, don't blame her for it," he said.

Sasuke shrugged at this, "She would have my head if I did," he smirked.

At this Naruto laughed, "Probably," but then he stood up. "You clearly have some issues to work out for yourself, so I'm going to see if I can visit Sakura." Then he hesitated. "Teme," he spoke, "Don't hurt Sakura again. This time I won't give you any leeway." Then he stretched his neck, "Oh, one last thing. When she woke from the Genjutsu it really was the last time I saw her cry for you," and left.

Sasuke sighed; he indeed had some issues to work out.

()()()()()()()()

"So are you fine now?" Tsunade asked as she brushed her pupil's hair behind her ear, a rather affectionate gesture.

Sakura nodded, "I'm sorry shishou. I shouldn't have cried like this," she muttered.

Tsunade brushed off her sleeves, "Well, I can understand this was shocking," she said, giving in a bit.

Sakura looked down, "Why did you let him, of all people, loose on my mind?" she asked.

The blonde Hokage sighed, "We were running out of time, and with his Sharingan he really was one of the few people that could have withstood the mindjutsu," she said.

Biting her lip, Sakura shook her head, "I know that, yet I'd rather had you didn't. I'll never get his respect back now," she said.

At this, a thin eyebrow was raised, "Respect?" she asked disbelievingly. "You have been at his throat since he came back," she said.

All she earned was a shrug, "I'm strong now," Sakura said as if it was enough of an explanation.

"You know that he had been trying to get closer to us. He suck royally, but he tries," Sakura suddenly heard Naruto say. In the doorway stood Naruto with his hands in his pockets.

The other blonde in the room frowned, "How did you get permission to enter? I thought I had specifically said that Sakura was to have no visitors for now."

Naruto laughed, "I am in the hospital so often that most nurses don't even know whether I am hospitalized or not at all," he answered.

Rubbing her fingers against her sleep, Tsunade sighed tiredly. "Okay, Naruto, you can enter," she said exasperatedly. Naruto grinned cheekily, and for a moment Sakura could've sworn she saw the 12-year old Naruto who didn't know murder and death.

She pressed her lips together angrily. "That Uchiha doesn't want to be close to anybody," she said bitterly. "Remember what happened last time we did?"

Naruto made a small sound, "But Sakura-chan!" he whined. "You never went to out dinners at Ichiraku and meeting him while torturing him doesn't count! How do you know he doesn't want to be friends with anybody?" he continued.

A vein started to throb in Sakura's forehead. "Naruto, can't you understand already? The Sasuke we knew is gone," she bit at him.

Naruto blinked, "So is the avenger, Sakura. He's now just empty. And he doesn't have any purpose left. Don't you think we could all help him with that?"

Angrily, Sakura turned her head away: "So what? Should we pretend that he never abandoned us? Or hurt us? I can't do that Naruto. Because he'll break that trust all over again," she said a rather final note in her voice.

Naruto scoffed, "And to think that I dreamt of team 7 back, even if only for a little." He stood up, "You know what? I am sick of being a mediator between you two. I am going to find Sai! I'd rather have him calling me dickless," he scowled at the name, "Than to listen to you two being stiff-headed all the same." And with that, he left the hospital room.

Tsunade shook her head, having silently listened, "Ever so blunt," she said before standing up herself. "You'll be fine in a few days. I expect you back at work in 4 days" said and stalked out of the room. Sakura sighed; it really didn't look like she was going to get a break. Now, she just wanted to sleep.

* * *

"I don't have to tie you up this time, do I?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke looked up at his old teacher, "I suppose you don't," he said.

Kakashi nodded and directed his eyes back at his orange book. "So do you know already what you're going to do about the whole situation?" he asked.

Sasuke glared at him. He didn't know why Kakashi came looking for him, and then suddenly such a random question. "How do you mean?" he said.

Kakashi snorted, "You mean you have destroyed the training field for nothing on your own?" he said, waving lightly at the cut trees and the ground filled with holes.

Sasuke looked away, slightly guilty, "Together with Naruto," he muttered.

The white-haired man shook his head but his visible eye crinkled, "You guys can't spar normally like any other, huh?" he asked.

Lifting his arms up slightly to show them, Sasuke frowned, "No wounds," he claimed.

"It's Sakura, right?" Kakashi asked silently.

It earned him another glare. "What did you base that upon?" Sasuke muttered angrily.

Kakashi showed a faint amusement, "The fact that Naruto doesn't anger any of us so much anymore and the fact you reacted so violently just now," he replied offhandedly.

Sasuke sighed and sat up, "Kakashi, did you ever regret spending so much attention on us, and so little to Sakura? I can't remember you guiding her one on one at all," he said. It had been strangely bothering him. He saw some characteristics of Kakashi in Naruto, but none in Sakura at all.

At this Kakashi smiled but it didn't seem to reach his eye completely. Sasuke based it off the movements of his mask. "Every day I wake up. I am not sad however," he said. Sasuke looked at him for an explanation. Kakashi closed his book and Sasuke dully noted that he was serious. "Sakura has grown into a good, strong young woman. Tsunade-sama did what I am not sure I could have done. But I regret knowing her as well as I would have liked. As well as I know you or Naruto."

Sasuke looked away bitterly. "You don't know me, you never did," he said. Sasuke felt almost bad for being so harsh. Up until now the man had always been right. Even if he had never had his whole clan slain. Just a father who took his own life.

But Kakashi just smiled, "And yet, I'm still here," he said and silenced.

Sasuke stared at the ground, not sure of what to say. It was possible that Kakashi could see right through him, like he could with Naruto. He wondered for a moment if they had put him and Naruto with Kakashi for a reason other than scores.

"Do you think you could clean yourself up right now?" Kakashi asked. Sasuke glared at him, not liking the insinuation that there was something wrong with his personal hygiene. Kakashi's eye didn't crinkle, a sign that he would be joking. "I mean your mind. For all I care you can go roll in the mud. But it's time to let that avenger go," he said.

Sasuke shook his head, "I don't know how," he admitted. "It's all I have ever been. Always the survivor of the Uchiha. Who am I if I am not that anymore?"

This time, Kakashi's eye did crinkle, "Then you have to become more than that," he said.

"Any suggestions for that?" Sasuke asked as to humor him. He didn't expect Kakashi to answer so he was rather surprised when Kakashi did so.

"I suggest that you go visit your family's graves," he said and sighed, "Maybe it's time for you to let them go," he said.

Sasuke scowled at him and looked away. Why did he keep hearing all that useless advice from people? It didn't matter if they meant well or not. "Why would I let my family go?!" he spat! "They're my family! Do you have any idea what that means?" He felt so pissed at Kakashi and he couldn't quite place the irrational anger.

Kakashi snorted, "You're nineteen now; you're going to build a family of your own someday. It's no use carrying your whole past with you," he said. Sasuke said nothing and laid back down. "We're not a replacement for your family, Sasuke. But we do care about you. I wouldn't go as far as call you a son, Kami knows that I would suck as a father, but you're definitely that problematic little cousin. Just as Naruto want to be a brother for you," he added silently.

When Sasuke didn't reply, Kakashi scratched the back of his head, "Talk to Sakura, Sasuke. You've been going roundabout about it for months now. I don't know what happened but…" he trailed off. For a moment Sasuke saw in his eyes that there still was a lot his teacher had said.

He stared at a bird flying around, and in the distance he heard metal clash so he assumed somebody must be training. "She kicked me out of her mind before I fully understood what was happening. Inside her head lives another Sakura, Kakashi, and I don't know what to make of it," he said.

Kakashi raised a brow, "Aren't we all a bit messed up? You have been obsessed with revenge. Naruto has the Kyuubi and it doesn't get much stranger than that, and I have a habit of punishing myself over things that have long past. Why can't the girl who seemed the most normal out of all of us have something too?" he asked.

Sasuke shrugged; he hadn't looked at it quite like that. Kakashi laughed, "I suppose even with her natural affinity for genjutsu, it comes in quite handy, I suppose," he said.

Sasuke couldn't help the smirk grazing his features. "Yeah, it is," he said. Then he stood and brushed himself off. "I'll go," he said shortly.

At this, Kakashi nodded, the conversation had been over before long, "Ah, I knew you would,"

Before he set off, he gave Kakashi a sly look over his shoulder, "You wouldn't do that bad as a father actually," he teased and then jumped away.

Kakashi shook his head as he grabbed his orange book again. "Young people," he muttered as he set off as well.

()()()()()()()()()

Sasuke stood on the field where he knew all of his clan's people were buried. Some of them had been people he had known really well. Following the grave-yard stones, he silently thanked Konoha a little for burying the Uchiha.

Every one of them had gotten an own headstone of memorial and Sasuke suddenly felt so alone. It was not an emotion he usually paused at. He was just alone in this field of dead Uchiha. He knew that if he turned around he would never gather the courage to tred this place again.

So he swallowed the lump in his throat away and continued his way to the further back. There was one of the tallest headstones and this one, as with the others carried the Uchiha clan's sigh.

"Hello, father, mother," Sasuke said as he stared at their names. "I am sorry that I killed Itachi; he didn't really deserve it," he muttered. This was going to be quite a long talk without someone replying. "I'm…fine now, but I still have a lot of work to do. I haven't been able to adjust quite yet."

Sasuke swallowed, again. "I have made a lot of mistakes….Grew up different from how you wished," he continued. He brought a hand to his face to find out he was crying. The great last Uchiha shedding tears over his 11-year old dead parents.

"I am not sure how to do that yet. Is it important to trust again? Trust this damned village and inhabitants?" he murmured. "Mother, what was it that you had foreseen as a future for me? Did you believe I would grow up smiling or did you know the shinobi-life would wipe my smile away?"

"Mom? Did you hope that I would find a nice sweet and caring woman, much like you, already?" Sasuke asked his mother specifically. Somehow he felt like he was 8 again and asking his mother the same question and he knew that she would have smiled and point out that only time would tell.

Back then, his mother knew all answers to every question the universe threw at him.

"I don't understand how you are crying," a voice stated next to Sasuke. Upon seeing the team 7 replacement, Sasuke felt himself grow angry again. First off; he trespassed these grounds. Secondly; he interrupted a very private conversation and Sasuke's peace, and last he was stating the obvious and pointing out his wrongs by saying and not asking.

"What is it? The national piss-off the Uchiha-day?" he muttered.

Sai raised his brows, "Not that I am aware of," he replied, seriously as if he was actually thinking about it.

Sasuke seriously felt like hitting him. "What do you mean you don't understand?" he said instead.

At this Sai crouched down next to him, looking at the names. "I assume these are your parents' names?" he asked. Sasuke nodded and Sai smiled that creepy smile again. 'Then it just simply means they're gone. They can't hurt you are make you laugh. So there is no need for crying," he said.

Sasuke felt anger brew up in him but then he realized that this guy, even more than him, was the exact definition of emotionally lacking. So he sighed, and glared at the still smiling young man; "I would have expected Naruto or Sakura to have explained this. I am not the right person to."

Sai raised his brows, "I never saw them cry over long dead people. Sakura cried because you were hurting her by being away by choice. Naruto cried over his teacher, but he was angry and sad as the man died. So why are you crying over these people. They are neither part of your present nor your future."

Sasuke stared at him long and hard. Then he looked back at the graves, "Because I miss them," he said simply.

At this Sai looked rather puzzled, "You miss them? But they are dead, what is there to miss about them?" he asked seriously.

Looking back at him Sasuke wondered for a second if the roles could have been reversed; that he would be the one asking these very same questions. Instead, he frowned, "You never had someone close to you die?" he asked, not believing that could be true for even one second.

Sai rubbed his chin, "I suppose you could say that. I am not sure if you can call it being close to me. We were comrades," he said.

Sasuke chuckled softly, even if it really wasn't funny. There was something about Sai at these times that amused him. "But you still had that bond. And the emptiness you felt when that person was gone, that is missing," he said. Sai seemed to be progressing this, and Sasuke, if only for a moment, felt sorry for the man. Learning to feel might not really be that easy.

"So, missing is also hurting?" he finally asked. Sasuke nodded, not wanting to answer. Sai then frowned. "I see. I will need to look that up some more. But that was not what I came here for," he said.

Sasuke stared at him, "Spill it," he said.

Sai shrugged, "The Hokage wants to see you," he said.

As he stood up, Sasuke crossed his arms, "And she sends you?" he asked.

Sai shrugged again, "I find myself not caring to whatever you say. It makes very much sense to send me," he said calmly.

Sasuke felt his hackles rise but then gave up. "Alright then. I'll go see the Hokage."

* * *

_And done. I finished typing this while I am sick, and have this huge cold. It took so much time! This is really a calm after/before the storm again, which explains why it was not particularly exiting but important to the story._

_Thank you for reading! Leave me a review, okay? Just to be nice!_


	11. How It Used To Be

_Well, in my defense; I had this tensed trapezium muscle, so I couldn't sit for a long time, let alone actually type. Then there was college; so yeah, life.  
Well, here's the new chapter; you guys were so sweet to me really._

_Oh; and for those who want me to follow the manga plot more; I will use tiny bits, but right now, I am just waiting for the series to end, so that I finally can say; no more plot holes._

* * *

Chapter 11: How It Used to Be

Before long, Sasuke found himself in front of the Hokage. The blond was glaring at him from over her fingers. "I am not sure whether I should thank you or be angry at you," she stated.

Sasuke stared her down, "Explain that, and then decide," he said.

Tsunade raised a brow, "You brought my student back from her induced coma but you made her cry in doing so, isn't that obvious?" she asked.

Sasuke sighed, "Hn, how was I supposed to react to what I saw?" he said in his defense.

Tsunade huffed, rather frustrated, "That's why I am not sure," she said.

Sasuke stayed silent, mentally debating on pushing the subject. Then: "Why have I been called here?" he asked.

The Godaime weaved a hand through her hair, "Straight to business, huh," she said more to herself than to any of the others in the room, namely Sai and Shizune. She continued when Sasuke didn't reply, "I decided not to pursuit a new trial," she said in a much louder and official voice. "Uchiha Sasuke, hereby I clear you of all charges and relating punishments. You have proven your right to stay in the village by saving the medical kunoichi Haruno Sakura, instead of the obvious choice to run."

Sasuke had no way to explain the weight that fell off his shoulders. He hadn't even known he had born the weight all this time. Then a thought entered his head, "And my chakra oath? Will that one be released?"

Tsunade smirked, "Of course, that's up to the holder to decide." Sasuke groaned softly and turned to make his exit. "Uchiha, go visit her. She's in distress about what happened. Don't make her cry more."

Sasuke didn't reply and left; making his former teammate cry. It seemed that that was all he had ever been good at concerning Sakura.

Ssssssssssssssssssssssssssss ssssssssss

Despite that complaint, Sasuke was facing the very much hated hospital. The place was where he had woken up after the worst moments in his life; it was only normal. He wondered; the hell was he doing here?

Telling himself it was because he wanted that bond of chakra gone, he stepped inside. He felt the scrutinizing gazes of the older people, some interested, some downright loathing. He ignored them heading straight for the counter. Even if he had his fair share of pride, he knew when to ask certain things and he really wasn't feeling like checking every single damned room in the cursed building.

"The room of Haruno Sakura," he demanded at the desk.

The lady behind the counter narrowed her eyes, "Do you have any reason to visit Haruno-sama, _sir_," she asked. Sasuke didn't miss the way she stressed her words. It was rather clear that she was one of the people who didn't trust him as far as she could throw him; much like Sakura.

"I have something that I need to discuss with her. What that is, is between me and her," he replied icily.

The woman stared at him, visibly running her mind over the possibilities. Now while Sasuke wasn't going to stir up a fuss he wasn't above of forcing his way through. If he needed to get Tsunade's written approval for that, so be it. "Room 712," she said finally, deciding it was not worth the fuss.

Sasuke nodded and made way to the room. He was relieved to know that the ward she was placed in was not high-risk. It meant that the illusion would not have long-lasting effects; he did not save her for nothing after all.

When he arrived he heard hushed voices from the inside. The door opened then and Nara Ino stepped out. She narrowed her eyes at him. "I am not even going to ask what method you used to get this room-number, but make her cry and restoring any clan will be the last of your problems," she said. Sasuke had no doubt she would make true on her word.

As she left Sasuke was free to enter. Sakura was staring outside when he did so. He saw her tense and her face hardened. "Come to gloat? Laugh at how weak I am?" she asked tersely. Sasuke silently took seat on the only chair in the room. When Sakura noticed he had no intention of speaking she slowly turned towards him. They settled for staring at each other and just like the time in the kitchen the silence felt not strained with things said; only things not said.

They had a lot to discuss.

"Why did you stay, Sasuke?" Sakura asked, the first to break the silence.

Sasuke raised a brow, "Was that supposed to be a rhetorical question?" he asked.

Sakura narrowed her eyes and then seemed to calm herself. This was good since Sasuke had no intention of fighting. "You know bloody well what I mean," she said sharply. "Why didn't you leave while I was….immobilized?" she continued, searching for words.

Sasuke stayed silent, searching for his own words, "I think, I have come home," he finally said. Sakura looked at him questionably and Sasuke knew he had no choice but to go on. He rarely explained himself; he couldn't get away with it this time. "I am tired of running, only when I came back I noticed that my feet aren't taking me away anymore."

Sakura nodded and then returned looking outside. Sasuke would've liked to stay in this silence, but there were things that needed to have words. "Do not dwell on the past, Sakura. I have no care for whatever vision you might have had," he said monotonously.

To his surprise, Sakura laughed softly, "That's very hypocrite of you to say," she commented. Sasuke didn't reply; he knew that it was. Sakura sighed, "You probably are here to get that chakra oath removed, aren't you?" she asked.

Sasuke nodded, 'Among other things', he thought and then inwardly scolded himself for letting his mind wander. She was a patient for kami's sake. Suddenly he felt Sakura's chakra, as low as it was, spike.

"I'll have to hit you if you decide to leave again," she added playfully. At Sasuke's skeptical gaze, because surely even if he had hit her out when he left, she wasn't planning on hitting him with her monstrous power? She'd kill him! Sakura laughed, "Loosen up, would you? After this I'm still deciding whether to like you or detest you," she said.

Sasuke didn't respond: if there was one thing he knew, he knew it was that he didn't like being on the receiving end of her detest. Things usually ended up ugly for him, one way or another. He hadn't forgotten her _reconnaissance_.

"Anything else, Sasuke?" she asked, in a tone that meant he'd better have something else. With a shock Sasuke realized she had been addressing him with his given name and just that. He immediately decided he liked it more that way. Because when she called him Sasuke, it meant she recognized him as such. He wasn't the patient who required the utmost politeness; he wasn't her longtime-crush needing some endearment. He even wasn't the descendant of the treacherous clan that gave him his surname, traitor of the village.

He was just Sasuke and this newfound standing could go any way he decided it to go. Despite his previous saying of not liking the pink-haired kunoichi, he liked this revelation. The time had not been right for anything but his name.

"Sasuke?" Sakura inquired and Sasuke pulled his attention back and searched for a way to voice something he hadn't told anyone, let alone the person that was Tobi. To tell Sakura suddenly wasn't easy and as a matter of fact it reminded himself that trust had to be earned.

"Hn, I need your…help," he grunted.

Sakura raised a brow, "With what?" she asked with no small amount of suspicion.

Sasuke sighed and told his pride that no matter how much he wanted it to be, he couldn't deal with this himself. "My eyes," he told her. "I want you to look at him," he said looking away. Sakura blinked at Sasuke was not surprised at this. After all, his eyes were probably his most prized possessions. "My sight's getting worse each day. Implanting Itachi's eyes only helped for a little while.

Sakura rubbed her temple, "So you're telling me that because of your Sharingan, and in some way Itachi's eyes, you're going blind?" she asked.

Sasuke nodded, "Hn"

At this Sakura sighed, "Come here," she said and Sasuke looked warily at her order. Sakura rolled her own eyes, "You didn't say please, but you're you so I'll blame it on the stick shoved up your ass, but before I can do anything at all, I will need to examine your eyes to see what's wrong." She replied rather irritated, and for a moment Sasuke was of a mind to just go to the hospital another day.

But Sakura wasn't having it and yanked him from his chair closer so he was forced to sit on the bed, and placed her hands on both of his temples. "What are the symptoms," she continued, now using her doctor-voice, which Sasuke recognized when he had been admitted, tolerating no opposition.

Sasuke was momentarily distracted by her hands and the warm chakra entering his head and frowned at which Sakura told him not to flex or strain his eyes. "The edges are black, sometimes worse than others. It is spreading, and the overall sight is blurry sometimes."

"Does it make any difference when you're tired?"

Sasuke grunted, "Hn, yes. It gets worse when I am tired."

He saw Sakura frown and felt her chakra focusing on some points in and behind his eyes; it was a most curious experience. "And when you are using the Sharingan?" she asked.

Sasuke hissed when he felt her probing a bit, and she immediately softened the touch of her chakra. "When I am using my normal Sharingan, there is no difference in symptoms. When I use my mangekyou my eyes bleed worse each time."

Mouthing to herself, Sakura repeated Sasuke's last words and then pulled her hands back. Sasuke startled himself with the revelation that he missed the warmth of her chakra. It was a different feeling, but not all that bad, like taking a hot bath.

"I probably should tell you, it is fixable," Sakura started, settling with a stern glance. "But it will take more than one session. You severed serves at microcellular level." She shook her head, "I don't even want to know what force brought that to happen. For now, you are indefinitely forbidden using that Mangekyou or you can say bye to your sight."

Sasuke nodded, "Will you do it?" he asked. He rarely asked.

A smile played on the edges of Sakura's mouth, "Wouldn't you rather have someone with more knowledge about the human eye than I? I am a crisis-doctor for most."

Sasuke stared her down, "Like I would get anyone near my eyes," he said simply.

Sakura sniggered at his typical defensive reaction, "Then, why me? I have no problems hurting you," she said.

That Sasuke could agree with; she had after all once crippled him. Healed him, but the pain was hardly forgotten. There was irony in it. "At least I know you won't use back-handed means to get rid of me," he said. "You'd face me face to face, Kakashi must have taught you better than that."

Sakura leaned back in her pillow, "So did Tsunade," she said. Sasuke nodded and that signified the end of the subject. Sasuke knew she would help with his eyes, and he was supposed to make this all easier by not pulling stunts.

He didn't leave right away, joining her in watching the sun set from the window. The sky was colored deep purple before any of them spoke.

"You aren't freaked out by what you saw in my mind?" Sakura asked, hesitating to break the silence.

Sasuke raised a brow, "In what way?" he asked.

He thought she turned a rather flattering shade of red, "Well, know these things played around my mind," she said slowly," she said. Sasuke couldn't help but notice she used past tense again.

He reverted his view back outside, "To be honest, not really. You haven't really conjured these thoughts on your own so I can't and won't judge you for that. Besides," he smirked, "As far as I know, I always have been your childhood-crush, and females tend to imagine a family life. It's…natural, I guess," he said. He felt like he had said a lot of unnecessary stuff but it had made Sakura at ease apparently.

She was glaring at him, but there wasn't any real force behind it. "I should hit you for that sexist remark," she said.

In his mind, Sasuke ran over the things he had said and frowned, "I'd rather have you not," he said.

And that settled it.

A loud noise from outside the room broke the silence and Sakura sighed exasperatedly, "In three, two, one…" she counted down.

Right on time, Naruto stumbled in, "Is everything ok, Sakura-chan?! I was really worried! Hey, teme." He rattled off. Then he did a double take. "Sasuke?" he asked incredulously.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Hn," he grunted in reply.

Naruto glared at him, "No need to be so short about it," he muttered. In his head, Sasuke wondered how grunting could be classified as 'being short about something,' but kept silent. "I was just wondering why you were here," Naruto continued. Then a foxlike grin appeared on his face, "Or have you something you didn't tell me?" It was hard to mistake the twinkle in his eyes.

It was however, Sakura who answered. "Of course not, you idiot. We had some unfinished business between us," she said.

Naruto looked scared for a moment, "Are you two still at each other's necks?" he asked slowly. Sasuke knew it handy been true for him for a long time now. He couldn't bear a grudge towards Sakura either now that he knew the grief he had caused her. So instead of answering the blond, he settled for listening to Sakura's answer.

She smiled at their mutual friend, "Still deciding on that," she replied.

Naruto pulled over the chair, Sasuke had been seated in before and sat on Sakura's other side. "Don't decapitate him, it's so bloody," he said lightly. Then he silenced for a while. This alone made Sasuke feel that once again he was the only one that still needed to grow up. "You know, this is slightly messed up," Naruto remarked suddenly.

Sakura looked up at him, "Why so?" she asked.

"It used to be Sasuke sitting in the bed, I heal so fast," Naruto explained himself. "The one sitting on the bed beside him was you and the ones hating each other's guts were me and Sasuke," he said.

Sasuke frowned, "I didn't hate you. You irritated me, yes, but you'd be hard-pressed to find anybody not concerning you," he said.

The blond blinked surprised and then laughed full out, "I missed this," he said. The other two didn't need to voice their thoughts that they shared the sentiment.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Not much later, Sasuke and Naruto were kicked out since Sakura wanted to sleep. On the hospital's front porch, Naruto stared at the avenger and grinned. "That was fun."

Sasuke raised a brow, "Depends on what you think is fun, dobe," he said simply.

But then, Naruto turned serious, "What now Sasuke? What are you going to do now?" he asked.

Half a mind to reply that he was going home to sleep, Sasuke turned his head away, "I don't know, dobe. Maybe I'll try taking missions again, or help building the village," he said. True enough, he still wasn't blind yet and even if he thanked the gods that the Uchiha compound still stood, Konoha had visibly been destroyed. He had caught here and there some pieces of the story about Naruto battling Pain.

It was a sudden realization that Sasuke found he no longer could be angry about Naruto's growth. Surprised, yes. Hesitant, most certainly. But not angry.

Naruto was smiling, blissfully unaware of Sasuke's thoughts. "Going officially for jounin, then?" he asked. Sasuke nodded and Naruto fumbled a bit in his pocket. "You will probably need a new one. This one is a little scratched," he said and got out an old forehead protector.

Upon close inspection, Sasuke noticed it was his old one.

"I don't think I should hold onto it any longer," Naruto continued as he pushed the hitai-ate back in Sasuke's hand. Naruto seemed content with the fact that Sasuke didn't chuck it back at him.

Sasuke clenched his hand around the cool metal. It was true that he wouldn't wear it for he was no nuke-nin anymore, but the large scratch through the symbol of the leaf would remind him that even though he betrayed them, Konoha did accept him back.

"Are you going to look for a girlfriend too?" Naruto asked with a smile on his face.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at him, "Why would I?" he asked. Naruto started making way to Ichiraku ramen and Sasuke followed quietly. He'd rather not have Naruto drag him.

He heard Naruto laugh, "Are you going to survive your clan on your own? Perhaps you should talk with Sakura more. It seems the reproduction process didn't come through," he teased. At this, Sasuke pressed his lips together and Naruto raised an eyebrow, "You _are_ aware you need a female for that, right?" he asked, almost uncertain now.

Sasuke glared at him, and undisturbed Naruto sat down on a stool in the Ichiraku-stand. He made his order known and then turned back to Sasuke. "What?" he asked, finally noticing the look Sasuke was sending him.

Glaring one more time before he sighed, Sasuke said, "I am aware I need a female for that," he said.

Naruto snickered at his serious way of responding; clearly the Uchiha hadn't quite caught on to the fact Naruto was messing with him. "Then you'd better start wooing some woman sometime soon if you want a big family," he said. "Females don't stay fertile their whole life, you know."

Pointedly ignoring Naruto's jab, Sasuke muttered a curse under his breath. The blond pinched his eyes, "Sorry, I'm still not fluent in Sasukenese," he said, eating his ramen, barely halting to say this.

Sasuke too started on the ramen, a taste his taste buds had long since become familiar with, before putting his chopsticks down, staring down in the gooey liquid, Naruto was about to ask what was wrong when Sasuke spoke: "I will not put the mother of my children in a loveless marriage," he said slowly.

Naruto blinked, he hadn't quite expected this, "Sasuke? Is that you?" he asked incredulously.

Sasuke glanced at him, "Hn," he grunted.

Again, Naruto sighed, "That I would see the day you would speak of love," he said.

"My parents were happily married. It had been arranged but they learned to love each other," Sasuke interrupt. He didn't know where the need to defend the Uchiha-traditions came from, because he sure as hell knew that, constipated bunch as they were, the Uchiha were not exactly refined in their ways of betrothals.

After Naruto had cleared his bowl, he surprised Sasuke by not immediately ordering another one, as he knew that Teuchi-san practically had another one ready, and just stared at it. "You still long for a family of your own, right?" he asked solemnly. "You know that we see you as out brother right?"

Sasuke nodded slowly and Naruto smirked, "Although I still feel sorry for the woman you'll choose, at least I think you have a good set of morals considering courtship," he said.

"Don't go sappy on me, dobe," Sasuke said rolling his eyes. Naruto chuckled, and ordered another bowl.

* * *

_I fully admit it's not my strongest work. It's the silence before the storm._

_To be honest I am still working on my transgressions. I suck rather horribly at making them._

_Oh well, thanks for reading and staying with me. If you'd find it in you to review; thank you a third time._

_Flames will be used to barbecue with. That's all._


	12. More than Healing

_Ok. Exam's done, time for a new chapter!_

_Me no own Naruto._

* * *

Chapter 12: More than healing

Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and sometimes Kakashi and Sai went on missions together. Because Sasuke was officially still genin, they were only allowed to go on B-missions, and that was as lenient Tsunade could be, she claimed. Neither Naruto or Sakura seemed to care much. Sure, Naruto complained but it was more the force of habit than that there was any real dissatisfaction behind it.

Sasuke felt like he was the only of them frustrated with the situation. He didn't do well with sitting back, but he supposed that he was lucky that he had been let off early. Even simple missions were a welcome change from the boredom of being bound to house.

He noticed the undeniable teamwork between his former, now again, teammates. Naruto and Sakura fought their battles side by side while fighting rogue ninja. There was nothing of Sakura not fighting her own battles, her fair share, and there was nothing of Naruto being incompetent of dealing with his opponents.

Sakura was apparently at ease with Naruto leading them during escort-missions and stayed back to keep the client safe, as a medic-nin should, but didn't fit Sakura's enormous strength. Naruto was strong, Sasuke knew that now, but seeing him fight from the other side did suddenly remind Sasuke this was going to be the next Hokage.

He wondered sometimes were he fit in now. He was not an avenger anymore; he had shed that cloak. But neither was he a protector. He didn't know how. So thing that surprised him the most was that they accepted him back in the team and made effort to fit him in as well. They blindly trusted him to watch their backs.

After a particularly dirty mission (blood and rain never did mix well), Naruto bid his farewells to Sasuke and Sakura, claiming that he had another meet-up with Tsunade about his succession, and for a moment Sasuke allowed himself the luxury of being surprised of Naruto's responsibility.

Then he shook his head and made way towards the Uchiha compound. Sakura quickly followed and Sasuke raised a brow at her strange behavior; he'd thought she had outgrown any stalkerish behavior. Sakura shrugged, "I moved out of my parents'. I felt for them because of my irregular sleeping-pattern. My apartment is in your direction," she explained. Sasuke nodded.

Sakura kept quiet for a moment. "You want me to look at your eyes, this evening?" she finally said.

Sasuke blinked; "Now?" he asked. Despite his cold exterior, and did he know it, he wasn't quite able to keep out the incredulousness from his voice, and Sakura snickered.

"Well yeah. I wasn't planning on next week," she said.

The raven-haired shook his head, "Don't you have a shift at the hospital tomorrow?" he asked.

Sakura smiled, "I'll be fine, Sasuke, but thank you for caring."

At this Sasuke turned his head away and nodded, "Hn," he grunted. He then started to lead her towards his house. He was well aware that she didn't need any guide; he was almost sure she had been coming there longer than he had over the years. But she did seem to appreciate the unusual inviting gesture from the avenger.

As soon as Sasuke had clicked the light on, he left Sakura in the hallway, both without shoes. Sakura took the time entering the living, assessing whether he had added some sort of personal touches. It was not as if she had high hopes really. Sasuke had always been rather Spartan.

She felt her gaze soften as she found his old scratched headband on the low dressoir. Making way to the curious item, she noticed it was surrounded by pictures. Another quick look around the room told her that this was probable one of the few places in his home that Sasuke had made a personal space.

A few books about ninjutsu were left on the table; he'd probably had looked through them to relieve the strain of his using his Sharingan. Sakura had noticed during their missions that Sasuke had been trying not to use it.

True to a noble clan like the Uchiha, a set of old katana were fastened on the wall, treated with care as the heirlooms they were. All with all, everything in the compound was Sasuke's heirloom, a saddening thought, Sakura found. But it was clear that Sasuke kept his house tidy.

Sakura looked back at the photos, something a lot more interesting. On the left of the scratched head protector stood a picture of what Sakura recognized as the photo they had taken when they were allowed to do missions again; the newest of them all. Kakashi was behind them and the photo was a lot calmer than their old one, in which Sasuke and Naruto had been glaring at each other.

This new one had Naruto grinning, Sakura smiling contently both her arms hooked around those of her teammates and Sasuke was staring in the camera passively. Kakashi had rested his hands on his male students shoulders. The new team 7, as Sai and Yamato had said.

Not in the least had they been insulted that they weren't in the picture. Rather, they were part of team Kakashi, not team 7. Sakura had smiled as Naruto had vehemently replied that they were part of their family none the less.

Behind the head-protector stood their old team picture and Sakura suspected it was placed their on purpose; as a reminder.

It was the picture on the right that Sakura picked up, feeling only slightly guilty for moving Sasuke's belongings. It was a family-picture and it did not take a genius to figure out it was the Uchiha. The patriarch of Sasuke's family was in the back but on his left side was a young Itachi, before the cruelties of shinobi-life had marred him. Sakura knew there had been more to the massacre than just that, but even so she was surprised that Sasuke let him in his house; even if it only was a unmovable picture.

Sasuke was seated on his mother's lap in the front and embraced by her. The woman could barely keep the energetic kid on her legs. He couldn't have been more than four years old, Sakura mused. She couldn't help but slide her finger over the cold glass, and halted at the Uchiha matriarch.

"Mikoto was a beautiful woman," she muttered. It wasn't the first time she had seen a picture with the woman in it but every time the classic beauty hit her full front. Sasuke didn't get his looks from a stranger and Sakura mused that in comparison, she must look rather exotic, paled even.

Suddenly the picture was lifted from her hands, and only then she noticed Sasuke standing behind her as he grabbed the picture. Then he placed it back on the dresser, and looked at it strangely forlorn. "They are dead now," he said simply.

Then he turned to Sakura and pressed a pack in her arms that Sakura only now recognized as towels and clean clothes. "You should shower. Bathroom's the third door on your left," Sasuke said, nodding to the hallway.

Sakura nodded slowly; it would be nice to wash the grease from her body. Then she frowned, "You should take a shower first!", the medic in her kicking in. "You should be careful more!"

To her surprise, Sasuke smirked, "I already did so. I was aware you were going to say that," he said and Sakura shook her head in amusement. He'd come to know her in such a short time: perhaps she was a little forceful with her team about their health. A look from Sasuke told her that he was quite serious about her taking that shower and she left for the bathroom

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Sasuke glanced back at the picture he had just put down. Strangely enough, the reason he had grabbed it from her hadn't been that he had wanted to keep his family from her, but that he had really wanted her to take that shower. With all her shifts in the hospital, Kami knew that she came in touch with enough illnesses and there wasn't a need to catch something if a simple shower could help it.

He frowned upon the realization that he had wanted to let her know about his family. Seeing her caress his family's picture so tenderly made him want to tell her about how he had tried so hard to learn his family's fireball jutsu, how his mother had cared for his burns and had assured him that his father was proud of him.

Of all people he wanted to tell Sakura about how much he cared for every single one in that picture and how they had cared for him. Even Itachi.

He shook the thought off and went to the kitchen. It was true that it was late but there was no reason not to eat if he was hungry. Not feeling like doing much he grabbed two packets of ramen and thought wryly that Naruto would be proud of him. He didn't think Sakura would mind.

A soft pat of feet pulled his attention away from the boiling water, which wasn't all that hard because it was after all, just boiling water. Sakura was apparently done with her shower. Her hair was still dripping wet.

She smirked up at him, something he had been rather startled to find out she did nowadays. "Naruto rubbing off on you?" she asked mischievously. Sasuke rolled his eyes at that and Sakura laughed. Then she reached up to grab a set of plats from his cupboards. He decided to ignore how well she knew his house and forcefully closed his eyes when his eyes started following a drop of water down her neck, not quite hidden by her now longer hair.

He also suppressed the thought that once the drop had reached the collar of one of his own shirts that he had given her (surely not his family's clothes…yet) that the Uchiwa fan on Sakura's back fit nicely.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Sakura stretched her arms once she had left the living room. She must admit that she rather liked Sasuke this way. She shook her head: giving her clothes and making her shower. That didn't quite feel as the Sasuke she had known and she now somehow believed Naruto's words: he really was trying.

With a sift sigh she made way to the bathroom. Taking a shower would be nice after all.

His bathroom was just as sparsely decorated as the living room. She barely held back a laugh when she saw that the Uchiha had kept the small traditional bath clans like his had, but that there was also quite a modern shower installed. Sakura imagined that for someone like Sasuke it was a whole lot more practical.

As she hung up the towel in the simple bathroom, she looked at the clothes she had gotten. It warmed her heart to see that Sasuke had given her his own clothes. She did expect that he wouldn't have given her his mother's clothes if he still had them but that he deemed her worthy enough for her to wear the Uchiwa on her back touched her.

Sakura smiled: he really had changed. She touched the fan tenderly. Maybe she had changed too. That sully crush that her 12-year old self had had for Sasuke had long since passed and now she was able to see the guy that he had been and now was: an emotionally stunted guy who wasn't sure of whom he was, who he wanted to be but tried to find his place in the world.

Sakura was sure that now Sasuke was doing missions with them again, she could honestly say she was glad he was back.

Stripping off her clothes, Sakura gratefully stepped under the hot shower and washed off the grime. She left the bottles soap untouched. As much as she had gotten used to Sasuke again, she still had no desire to smell like him.

Drying off quickly, as she had come to know with all the shifts and page-calls in the hospital, she hesitated slightly when she dressed. She did not have a new set of bindings for her chest with her, but she really did not want to put on the old set, as wet and sweaty as it was. The choice was made quickly; she'd just have to do without.

Besides, it wasn't like she was going to do anything strenuous like a mission or work in the hospital.

The material; was soft, smooth, quality that the Uchiha surely always must have had. The shirt was too long for Sakura's small frame and the neckline almost slipped off her shoulder. It should have been a short sleeved shirt but on Sakura it reached till far over her elbows. She was also rather glad for the ties in the pants, because even if Sasuke had a small waist, Sakura's build wasn't enough to keep in around her own waist.

Grabbing her own clothes and laying it out to dry at least a little, Sakura decided that it would have to do for the moment. She felt a lot better as she went back to the living room but found Sasuke heating up water for Ramen in the kitchen.

He turned, probably having heard her coming and starred at her. Sakura couldn't help herself and smirked, "Naruto rubbing off on you?" she asked and got rewarded with an impressive eye-roll. Sakura laughed at that; it was rather typical of him and went to his cupboards. IF she was there any way she might as well be useful.

She grabbed a set of deep plates to make eating ramen easier but then felt Sasuke's gaze burning in her back. If she didn't know any better she'd say it felt like the reconnaissance mission. Only she wasn't wearing any risqué clothes so she did know better.

Instead she looked back at Sasuke: "Is there anything on my back?" she asked, while trying to glance over her shoulder.

Sasuke seemed to shake himself out of a stupor, "Hn," he replied if it could be called a reply and grabbed the plates. Sakura blinked at this unusual side of him but shrugged it off and joined him with the food at the table.

"How are you going to do it?" Sasuke asked.

It took Sakura a moment to gather herself for Sasuke was rarely the one instigating a conversation. "It's not so much how, actually," Sakura replied, knowing what he was hinting at. "First I need to heal the damage on your own eyes. I'll heal every vein apart from each other; much like broken bones," she said.

Sasuke grunted: "Is that all?" he asked.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him, "I have yet to see you heal a bone," she growled. "And at cellular level, things are a bit more complicated. Besides, after I am done with your eyes, I'll have to heal the part of _your brother_ separately. Brothers or not, you two have different chakra's after all. After that, I'll have to reheal Itachi's eyes into yours." She shook her head, "For all the talent in the Uchiha, for healing they are not cut out. Such sloppy work," she mumbled.

Sasuke turned away, properly humbled, "Sorry," he muttered. It was a day of re-evaluation to Sakura. In one day she had witnessed the self-centered Uchiha being gracious apologizing. The world must be ending.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS SS

For a moment Sasuke was afraid that he had screwed up their still very frail companionship, despite his apology. He had learned if there was one thing that Sakura hated, it was being called weak or useless or anything remotely related. He knew he was to blame for that. But if anything, she wasn't weak now.

She put her plate down and sighed. Then she smiled at him, "Well, it's not that I expect you to ever change."

That was it?

She ushered him to sit on one of the chairs and sat on the opposite one. "Keep your eyes open as much as possible," she ordered him. Sasuke did as she told him but his eyes drifted off when she reached for his temples. "Look forward. You're straining again," Sakura mumbled as she pushed closer, their legs in between the others.

Sasuke found he had no other place to look at but Sakura's face as she concentrated. "First, I'll fix your eyes,' she informed him again. "It's probably all I can do today."

Sasuke resisted the urge to nod and grunted, "Hn," to show that he understood. Before long he felt Sakura's chakra go through his head again and he noticed he directly let go of his own tension. It felt like something he hadn't felt in years: coming home.

Sakura was concentrating so Sasuke decided to let her be and concentrated on the heavy rain outside. He wondered if Naruto had gone home already but didn't stay on the topic too long; he felt too content for that. Maybe it was because of her chakra in his head but he knew it had everything to do with Sakura.

Of course she had gained his respect, admiration maybe. She had become strong and independent. He watched her work, frown on her face and eyes set on his. Sasuke doubted she was really seeing him though.

Meanwhile the feeling of chakra in his head had intensified; it felt more like a wrapping now than the blanket it was before. Sasuke concluded that she must have started with healing specific nerves. It was a comforting thought to have his eyes healed. Sasuke wasn't sure he would cope well being blind.

Slowly he felt Sakura's chakra disappear. "This will do for now," she said, "But don't you dare using that special Sharingan of yours," Sakura threatened.

Sasuke nodded rather meekly; no matter how many times he saw her, interacted with her, Sakura's bossiness, new towards him, still caught him off-guard sometimes. He saw her looking outside, and he was struck with the thought she looked quite homey in those clothes of his.

He suppressed a chuckle at the thought of Naruto finding them like this, still seated on their chairs.

"I'd better get going," she muttered and wanted to leave when Sasuke grabbed her wrist.

"It's raining," he said.

Sakura raised her brows, "So? I'll get home one way or another," she laughed.

Sasuke stared at her: "You can stay here," he said softly, and Sakura's mouth dropped open.

"Do I hear the infamous Uchiha Sasuke being compassionate? How nice," she mocked. Sasuke stare turned into a frown: if she wanted to be that way, there was no need for him to try to bond. He turned to disappear to another room when Sakura giggled. The sound was strange enough to halt him in his tracks: she never giggled in his presence since his return.

"I'll stay," she said.

He focused her eyes on her and resisted the urge to smirk: it felt as an accomplishment; that he convinced her to stay. He set it to the fact that she had been the one ordering him around. "I'll set up a room for you," Sasuke said and went for one of the spare-rooms.

He heard her scurry after him: "Wait! There's no need for that! I can bunk on the couch!" she protested but it sounded reluctant, she probably wasn't sure how to act around him now.

Sasuke wanted to tell her, that no guest of the Uchiha would bunk on the couch when he heard her step falter. Having heard it before, he whirled around and caught the pink-haired woman before she hit the ground. Frowning he only now realized she had completely drained her chakra.

He hadn't noticed before.

He sighed as he scooped her up some more in his arms. "Like I am going to put you on the couch now idiot," he murmured. Of course, knocked out cold she didn't reply. For a moment, Sasuke wasn't sure what to do and leaned against the wall supporting Sakura's shoulders with his arm and her body over his legs.

He wasn't lost on the irony that was the fact that this situation was a tad worse to be found in than the one in the kitchen. He pushed himself up lifting Sakura with a hand under her arms, the other one under her knees and he wondered what his next step was going to be. He wasn't putting her on the couch. But he didn't prepare a room for her, and he couldn't do so this way either.

Then the solution hit him and he almost cursed. But finding no other way he carried her down the hallway to his own bedroom. Pushing open the door to his bedroom he was glad for his tidy nature. He stared down at his bed feeling like it was mocking him.

Then, ignoring the feeling he put Sakura down on it. He put the sheets over her (Because he sure as hell wasn't going to undress her. He had at least _some_ self-preservation), and he knew he should leave now. Setting up another room or actually sleeping on the couch.

But as it was, he didn't leave and instead he crouched down on the side of his bed. It wasn't a high bed so he was quite easily able to stare down on the young woman. His sheets were dark because with the amount of time was in the hospital, he had no need for more white sheets. But now, he found himself staring at Sakura: such a strong contrast with the sheets that she was positively highlighted.

Once again, he was made aware of her flawless complexion. Sasuke knew she was considered a beautiful woman; he might be single-minded on certain things, he was neither deaf nor blind, this view was only stressing that image…

He halted in his thoughts and back-tracked them. What the _hell _was he thinking?! He shook his head, banning the images of Sakura in the red dress: it wouldn't help his situation; he couldn't explain this attraction to her. Because he wasn't that thick that he was going to deny that.

She was annoying, but she was also smart, strong, kind and she was pretty and he wasn't quite sure why he had thought of her as plain.

At this point he abruptly stopped his pondering. "What the hell?" he murmured. He was attracted to her, to Sakura of all people! Sasuke wanted to leave, get the hell away from the woman that had such a strange effect on him.

But as he wanted to rise from his crouching position he found himself unable to. Glancing down he saw Sakura's hand fisted in his shirt. "Shit!" he cursed. He tried to loosen her fingers, but her grip was too tight for him to get free without waking her up. He was conscious enough of all she had done for him not to want that.

Sasuke almost cursed to the gods in exasperation: someone was out to get him. Running over his options in his mind, he almost immediately cursed again. So far his options were: sitting next to her until Sakura let go (Not going to happen), giving in and lay down next to her and be done with it (But he rather liked his manhood where it was, so he canceled that plan as well) and there was shrugging out of his shirt and leave it in her clutch.

He was rather fond of the last plan.

Somehow he rolled her on her back, giving him a little more space for movement. Willing himself to not pay attention to their close proximity, because really, he was still male and he was practically on top of her, he tried to shrug out of his shirt without disturbing Sakura.

Slipping his arms first out of his shirt and then his head, he found that it went slow but Sakura was currently a deep sleeper because of her low levels and he could slip out of the shirt quite easily.

Almost.

When he wanted to rise up, Sasuke saw Sakura's hand, the one that was clench in his shirt twitch but before he could've retracted, Sakura turned on her side, effectively knocking him down by rolling for his arm that had supported him. It took Sasuke a moment to process what had happened but when he did he was already too late.

Unconsciously she had ended up on his arm and apparently she liked his body-heat because she slung an arm under his arm that was on top and hooked it around his chest and snuggled in some more, even hooking her legs in his.

Sasuke found himself on his side with Sakura laying on one arm and flush against him. He let out a slow breath and all he could think was: '_Fuck!'_

Following that thought was that he needed to get out of here for formerly noted reasons. But like previously noted, he wasn't about to get away without her waking up. He also couldn't form seals…

Seals! The replacement jutsu! Sasuke wanted to smack his head: he should've thought of that before he was in this impossible position with his arms unable to form the seals. And even if he could, he dully noted, he'd probably end up transporting Sakura with him, also waking her up.

He felt Sakura sigh, the slight breath teasing his neck. He tensed but then upon realizing Sakura wasn't waking up, he relaxed. As it would seem he wasn't about to get away, Sasuke relied in this twisted form of fate. He leaned down reaching for the sheet that Sakura had shrugged off when she turned and pulled it over them

Then against all good judgment, and he knew he was going to regrt this in the morning, he closed his eyes and let sleep overcome him.

* * *

_Wah, not nice of me, so sorry!_

_Please leave me a review still! _


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